Thanks for link to the article James.

re: coffee futures market
I doubt that a hedge fund style system for coffee could work, but my financial knowledge and understanding of the green coffee commodity industry is zip. I cant see a speculatory market for green beans - being a perishable commodity with ~1 year lifespan. The variations between batches/lots/farms/regions/countries is also another hindrance. CoE is a program that rewards the grower for careful growing practices & producing a tasty bean, but so far only afficionados have played that game. We are beginning to see it hit the home environment, but I would say it is for competion based beverages that the high dollars have been paid for these beans. I have no idea about the Japanese market, they’ve paid higher prices for years and it was for consumption by the masses, not competitions.

Some for the taste, some for marketing, I havent read about buying groups going in with a specific business model with regards to how they plan to make a return on the cost of the beans.

Pity that, it would totally change the market if that damn fleeting nature of coffee can be stopped! Coffee would rule the world of beverages! Tea, wine , beer, pfft!

“massification of luxury”:- Thats a new word to me. What is the definition of massification? From amass?