This semester prompted me to reflect on my personal relationship with coffee, as three of my school projects focused on coffee and cafes. I am a big coffee and matcha drinker and love exploring new cafes around Toronto. That said, coffee prices have been rising for some time, and this has affected my spending habits. According to CBC, Canadians paid approximately 28% more for coffee in August 2025 than in August 2024. I have to admit that many of my cafe purchases were influenced by social media, and although it’s a fun activity, it can get quite expensive.
But cafes aren’t simply places to get coffee; they are environments for socializing, studying, and performing identity, especially given curated aesthetics on social media and trends such as “study with me” and the exploration of new cafes.
This makes me wonder if being in environments like that helps us feel like a version of ourselves that is aesthetically appealing.
Your drink choice can often reflect social class: higher-income consumers often drink specialty coffee, and these preferences signal cultural capital, such as knowledge of origins, roasts, brewing methods, and more.
To understand the cultural influence of cafes, it’s important to examine the histories of coffee and matcha and how they have circulated through the global economy.
Coffee originated in Ethiopia and is currently typically imported from Colombia, Brazil, and Vietnam. The recent U.S. tariffs on Brazilian products have disrupted the global coffee market, resulting in supply shortages, reduced availability, and higher prices. However, farmers in producing counties reap none of the benefits. Coffee Watch reports that producing countries export 74% of the world’s coffee volume but only receive 57% of the value. These countries primarily export raw beans, which command the lowest prices, and a significant share of the profits is retained by multinational companies in the Global North.Â
Trade policies, such as U.S. tariffs, continue to protect powerful economies, while farmers in producing countries remain at low profit margins. This displays colonial trade patterns, with farmers facing the climate crisis, unstable incomes, and political vulnerability, while wealth remains in the hands of powerful corporations and consuming countries.
Coffee’s cultural history is also extremely relevant. While modern coffee culture commemorates European cafes, latte art, and specialty shops, indigenous coffee traditions in Ethiopia, Yemen, and Colombia do not receive comparable recognition. For example, coffeehouses in the Middle East were associated with debate, politics, and intellectual discourse, thereby shaping coffee’s identity to this day. Later, Europe adopted the same coffeehouse culture.Â
Cultural identity still only benefits Western-producing countries.Â
Matcha, for instance, has recently been popularized in the West, and although its origins are well recognized, it has been commercialized and mass-produced. Many cafes will sell matcha without having learned the traditional, labour-intensive art of its preparation. Aging tea farmers in Japan are having trouble keeping up with the heavy demand for matcha worldwide. This reflects the increasing overconsumption in our society.
Ultimately, today’s coffee culture is shaped by globalization and social media; therefore, it is important for consumers to consider their purchases and support independent and ethical cafes.Â
Cafes are among the few third spaces available today, and they provide people with a form of self-care. It’s a retreat from our hectic lives. However, it also has an element of hyperproductivity, and, in demonstrating this need, we feel compelled to contribute to the economy every second of the day. This perception is also romanticized because our individual value is often tied to monetization; we are simply assets in a capitalist society.Â
While I genuinely love coffee and drink it almost every day, I had never actually sat down and wondered about its sociological significance and implications. This served as a reminder that inequality pervades every aspect of our lives.
Social media has led us to believe that every moment must be romanticized and aestheticized, and these trends have become present in our real lives. Although it often encourages us to try new things and helps us learn more about them, it can ultimately be harmful.Â
Cafes are associated with both productivity and relaxation, and they have become a symbol of calmness and creativity for me. While I really enjoy that and third spaces are extremely important for us to remain connected to ourselves and others, it’s imperative that we don’t fall into the trap of trends and overconsumption.