Mapping Baby Boomer Filipinos’ Perception of Local Coffee Consumption

Abstract

Coffee consumption is on the rise, ranking next to oil in terms of global demand (Peace and Equity Foundation, 2016). According to Euromonitor International (2018), coffee is the leader amongst fast-moving consumer goods worldwide. The Philippines is amongst the select countries capable of producing all four varieties of coffee and used to be the world’s leading supplier of arabica in the 19th century until coffee rust, and other diseases damaged the crop in 1890 (Leano, 2018). Though the coffee industry in the Philippines has recovered after the global crisis in 2001, the Philippine Coffee Board calls the need to promote patronization of local roasters and farmers. Kantar Worldpanel (2015) observed that the Filipino coffee consumer has shifted to becoming heavy coffee drinkers. However, according to Euromonitor International (2018), three big brands already account for 92.9% of the industry share, which primarily sells processed instant, bottled, and canned coffee. In response, this paper intends to explore factors that positively influence baby boomer Filipinos’ perception of local coffee consumption. This may serve as a means to increase the odds for the sustainability of local coffee farmers and millers. This initiative is significant because it will help the coffee farmers, and millers establish a better branding for quality, boost local patronization, and encourage the community to develop the local coffee industry further. The Theory of Planned Behavior by Ajzen (1985) served as the backbone to be able to identify drivers that will increase the intention, which will hopefully translate to the buying behavior of local coffee. Observation, personal interviews, and surveys are being conducted to generate data for analysis. Initial findings suggest a price, communication through promotion efforts, accessibility, and consistency in the quality of delivered goods should be the priorities of coffee cooperatives, farmers, and millers to be able to capture this segment.