Where are coffee beans grown, and why do they sell out so fast?

Ethiopian Ambassador to China Teshome Toga appeared in Li Jiaqi's livestream on January 19 and brought 4 tons of roasted Ethiopian coffee beans from the brand Arada. They sold out in five seconds, before the ambassador could read his prepared introduction. The beans he promoted are grown in Ethiopia, one of the oldest coffee-producing origins, where the crop supports many smallholder farmers.

A similar livestream happened in January 2020, when the Rwandan ambassador brought 2,000 bags of Rwandan roasted coffee beans that also sold out almost instantly. Both events were tied to public welfare campaigns for farmers, and both show how demand in China can clear a small origin's unsold coffee beans grown on family plots.

Ethiopian Ambassador to China Teshome Toga walked into Li Jiaqi's livestream, bringing 4 tons of coffee beans roasted by the domestic brand Arada. As a result, they were snapped up by Chinese netizens in just 5 seconds after being put on the shelves, and the ambassador didn't get to read a single word of the introduction script he had prepared. This is not the first time African coffee beans have been instantly sold out in a livestream—in 2020, 2,000 bags of coffee brought by the Rwandan ambassador also sold out in an instant. Behind these two livestreams are both the strong purchasing power of Chinese consumers and the warm power of public welfare assistance to farmers. This article will recreate the wonderful moments of these two livestreams and discuss what exactly makes African coffee beans so good.

"3, 2, 1... put them on the shelves!"

5 seconds later

"4 tons of Ethiopian coffee beans have sold out!"

The purchasing power of Chinese netizens once again left our African friends stunned!

On the evening of January 19, Ethiopian Ambassador to China Teshome Toga appeared in Li Jiaqi's livestream to participate in Tmall Global's public welfare farmer assistance event. He brought Chinese netizens a "hometown specialty"—4 tons of high-quality Ethiopian roasted coffee beans from the African local brand Arada. The ambassador had originally prepared a speech and planned to properly introduce his hometown's coffee to Chinese consumers...

Who would have thought that the speed at which Chinese netizens snapped up the goods would once again shock the African people watching the livestream! Before the ambassador could say even one word of his script, the coffee beans had all been sold out. So the ambassador could only wish everyone an early Happy New Year in Chinese on the spot.

Speaking of this, why do we say "once again"? In January 2020, not long after the pandemic broke out, the Rwandan Ambassador to China also walked into an e-commerce livestream, bringing 2,000 bags of Rwandan roasted coffee beans to help solve the problem of unsold Rwandan coffee beans. The ambassador had likewise prepared a speech overnight, wanting to properly introduce the coffee beans from the "Land of a Thousand Hills."

Unexpectedly, before the countdown to put the products on the shelves had even been called, Chinese netizens were already desperately refreshing the "shelves," just hoping to grab this limited-edition "hometown goods" from the Rwandan ambassador as quickly as possible. When the ambassador finished shouting 3, 2, 1 and was just about to say the first word... in less than 1 second, the 2,000 bags of coffee had already sold out... The Rwandan ambassador entered the livestream with a nervous expression and left with a bewildered look and a shocked heart.

This livestream was also synced to the phones of Rwandan coffee farmers. Farmers everywhere nervously held their phones, worried that the coffee beans they had grown would not be popular. Faced with such selling speed, the farmers' reactions and expressions were exactly the same as the Rwandan ambassador's.

Afterward, the Rwandan ambassador said excitedly in a media interview: Amazing! I never expected goods could sell this fast! The poverty alleviation power of Chinese e-commerce is truly incredible!

The fact that these two livestreams selling African coffee beans were both so lightning-fast made African coffee farmers feel they had "worried too much," and undoubtedly showed off a kind of "mysterious power of the East." With the pandemic raging across the globe, neither the purchasing power of the people nor the breadth of the Chinese market can be matched by other countries.

And the reason the 4 tons of coffee beans brought by the Ethiopian ambassador this time could sell out in five seconds is, first, the strong purchasing power of Chinese people, and second, because this sales event was a public welfare activity. For every bag of Ethiopian coffee beans consumers bought in the livestream, 1 yuan would be donated through the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation to support Ethiopian children's living standards and educational development.

Netizens also hoped that through their own small contribution, more African children could have better living conditions, more children could receive modern education, walk out of Africa, and see the world! If the youth are strong, the nation is strong.

Image source: Internet, livestream screenshots

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.