First International Coffee Day at FAO in Rome with slogan 'Celebrate coffee, honor the people behind every cup'

The slogan of 2026

The first official celebration of International Coffee Day will be held at the FAO headquarters in Rome. The event will be inaugurated by general director Qu Dongyu at 12.15pm at the Sheikh Zayed Center and will have the slogan "Celebrating coffee, honoring the people behind every cup". At the center of the day are in particular the approximately 25 million small farmers and their families who work in the supply chain. The objective is to enhance the heritage of traditions, knowledge and cooperation that accompanies coffee from cultivation to the cup, in a phase also marked by market volatility and the effects of climate change. The day was launched in 2015 by the International Coffee Organization and was officially recognized by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 March 2026, following a proposal adopted by the FAO Conference in 2025.

The global coffee market is worth over 34 billion dollars

In 2024, the coffee supply chain moved over 11 million tons of product for a commercial value that broke the ceiling of 34 billion dollars. According to the report released by the Italian Coffee Committee of the Italian Food Union, global production amounts to 179 million bags. Brazil, Vietnam, Uganda, Colombia and Indonesia occupy the top five places among non-EU producing countries.

The numbers of the Italian market

In 2025, 424,168 tons of roasted and soluble coffee were produced in Italy. The sector has around 1,000 roasters and develops a turnover of 5.9 billion euros. The overall annual consumption reaches 287,143 tonnes, equal to 4.9 kg per capita, equivalent to approximately 812 cups of espresso per year per person. On the market, ground coffee represents 64% of sales, pods 24%, soluble coffee 8% and coffee beans 4%. These are some of the data that emerged on the occasion of the event "Italian coffee: a unique product, a constantly evolving supply chain", organized in Rome by the Italian Coffee Committee of the Italian Food Union, on the eve of International Coffee Day. The released report certifies Italy as the leading producer of roasted coffee in the European Union. Italy also imports 641,234 tonnes of green coffee, including decaffeinated coffee: approximately two thirds Arabica and one third Robusta. On the processing and export front, Italy exports almost 280 thousand tons of roasted coffee, including decaffeinated, and 4,550 tons of soluble coffee.