Coffee industry sees heritage brand growth and Indonesian downstreaming push

The global coffee industry is seeing a resurgence of heritage brands as companies seek stability amid rapid innovation in sectors like cold brew and ready-to-drink beverages. Legacy names such as Maxwell House, Julius Meinl, and Douwe Egberts are attracting significant investment from private equity and multinational groups. Matthew Smith, President of Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, noted that these heritage brands provide unmatched category stability, regional density, and multi-generational consumer trust.

In Indonesia, the government is focusing on the downstreaming of the coffee industry to increase economic value. As the world’s fourth-largest coffee bean producer, with an estimated 2025 production of 834,000 tons, Indonesia aims to boost its processing industry. Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita emphasized the need to strengthen processing, foster innovation, and expand market access. The government intends to increase the coffee processing industry’s capacity utilization rate from approximately 51 percent to 86.6 percent by 2029.