London, Sept 29 - Coffee consumption should not be hurt by the global financial crisis, International Coffee Organization executive director Nestor Osorio said on Friday.
"I don't see any sign of the demand for coffee being reduced. Of course there is a crisis in many countries but it is not in the number of cups of coffee that the families who cannot pay the mortgages are going to make economies," Osorio told reporters after an ICO council session.
"Maybe they could switch from the top of the range to more middle of the range (coffee). Maybe if they stay more at home they will drink more coffee," he added.
Last week a senior official with the International Cocoa Organization said he expected global cocoa demand growth to fall to below 2 percent year-on-year in 2008/09, due to the economic downturn.