Every specialty segment has travelled the same curve. Coffee’s is the best documented — which is why it works as a map.
History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes
It happened with Coffee, Wine and Olive oil, it is happening with Cacau and it will happen with Açaí.
The difference between the two models isn’t in the bean. It’s in the criterion — and in what each one decides to put first.
The concept of coffee waves was introduced by Trish Rothgeb in mid-2002, when she wrote an article on “Third Wave Coffee”.
Coffee becomes widely accessible and convenient. Mass production and instant coffee. Focus on quantity over quality. Lower retail price for the end consumer.
Impact: coffee as a commodity, with no emphasis on flavour or origin.
Consumers dissatisfied with product quality. Specialty cafés emerge and expand (such as Starbucks). The concept of Specialty Coffee appears, along with new quality parameters.
Impact: coffee emerges as an experience, with greater awareness of coffee types and brewing methods.
Expansion of the Specialty Coffee concept — focus on single-origin beans and direct trade with producers. Adoption of innovative brewing methods (slow brew, cold brew). Consumer education on flavour profiles and terroir.
Impact: coffee consolidates as a gastronomic experience, with emphasis on quality, ethics and sustainability.
The growth of the Specialty Coffee market is driving greater traceability and transparency across the whole coffee chain. Coffee consumers increasingly look for products that are ethical both socially and ecologically.
“In a way, coffee follows the path wine took in the past, by valuing and certifying origin, processing, type and bean characteristics.”
The same three-wave structure, applied to the Amazonian fruit. The difference is that this time the curve can be seen before it completes.
Açaí becomes widely accessible and convenient. Açaí ice cream appears. Focus on quantity over quality. Expansion of açaí ice cream franchise chains.
Impact: açaí as a commodity, marked by intense price competition and little emphasis on healthiness, traceability or origin.
Consumers (wellness profile) dissatisfied with product quality. New products and brands emerge focused on açaí as a superfood. The Special Harvest Açaí concept appears, along with new quality parameters.
Impact: açaí gains ground in the wellness market as a superfood. The fruit’s real impact on riverside communities and the Amazon rainforest starts being discussed.
Expansion of the Special Harvest Açaí concept — focus on the fruit’s origin, impact and nutrient preservation. Greater appreciation of antioxidant properties and innovative methods to preserve them. New quality parameters (scoring) that value forest regeneration, better living conditions for riverside communities and the diversity of açaí “terroirs”.
Impact: açaí consolidates as a powerhouse of the Brazilian bioeconomy.
This new consumer awareness is driving the rise of ESG — and creating the demand the segment will occupy.