In this free course, The value of coffee, you will explore the economic and cultural value of coffee. Coffee is a luxury commodity, with millions of people depending on the money that it generates for their livelihoods. It is estimated that the global economic value of coffee amounts to around $173 billion per annum (ICC, 2014), but those who grow coffee are some of the most disadvantaged in the world. Coffee is the most popular drink worldwide, yet how cultures of coffee consumption have developed differently over time reveals important insights into how and why this drink is valued as it is.

In this short course, you will think about the chain of processes that connect the drink you enjoy on a daily basis with circuits of economic and cultural value. You will begin your study by exploring the breakdown of the price of a cup of coffee and will have the chance to reflect on the fairness of this distribution. You will then complete a short quiz that highlights the importance of coffee to different countries in the world. You then watch a short film that explores the relationship between coffee and money and consider whether the price you pay in a coffee shop is sufficient. In the second short film, you learn about the differences between coffee consumption in Italy and the UK and are given the chance to compare and contrast why these coffee cultures developed in such different ways.