Update: The McKinsey links are dead, and I can’t find them online any longer.
Nothing to do with KM this morning, but a subject that is dear to my adrenaline pump. The McKinsey Quarterly, Chart Focus column for March 2004 is A wake-up call for coffee growers that shows an interesting graphic of profitability vs. % of commodity exports in the coffee-growing countries of the world. There aren't many countries / growers making much money.
Productivity improvements have changed the cost structure of the coffee bean industry, leaving many traditional growers in the red. A McKinsey study suggests that they go upscale, diversify, or get out.
Image linked from the McKinsey site. Click to get to the full article:
