After WWII, coffee became expensive in East Germany by 1976. In search for cheaper alternatives, East Germany set up a coffee production in Vietnam, but withdrew shortly after German reunification. Vietnam, however, ended up becoming the second largest coffee producer in the world.
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| Source: Tri Le on Pixabay |
After World-War II, coffee became a shortage in East Germany by 1976, with only the expensive ones made available for an average household budget.
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East Germany considered this coffee shortage as a threat against its consumer needs and began seeking cheaper alternatives. Given its strong relations with Vietnam at the time, they began its production there in 1926 resulting in Robusta coffee.
Not only was the coffee harvested cheaper but also more bitter compared to standard coffee that East Germany was originally consuming.
By 1990, although East Germany was supposed to be a long-term partner in Vietnam’s coffee production industry, it achieved reunification with West Germany, therefore withdrawing from investment plans.
But despite this loss, Vietnam bounced-back by becoming the second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, and driving traditional coffee production based in Africa, out of business.
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Germany, even today, remains the largest importer of Vietnamese coffee, followed by markets like the US and Italy.
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