Balila, Ysabel Y.

COBIBMO C31
Espenida, Ivanna March 10, 2020
Galvez, Ma. Alexandra Luisa N. Mr. Mari Lim
Trono, Paul Jacob D.
Tugade, Rina Rose

Final Paper Topic Proposal: Export Malunggay Coffee to Finland

Board of Investments executive director, Ma. Corazon Dichosa stated that Philippine
trade deficit has lasted five years, averaging 76.54%. “Exporting more and importing less” was a
possible remedy given, noted that the country should reinforce their supply chains. The
Philippines has formed a generalized system of preferences (GSP) with the European Nation
(EU) which states the export products that fall under 6,000 tariff lines enjoy reductions (Rivas,
2019). The EU remains the fourth largest Philippine trading partner that accounted for $14.6
billion (11%). A closer look at export data shows that food products ranked third (12.5%) in
scale of exports, which shows growth potential (Department of Trade and Industry, 2020).

According to the Natural Resources Institute of Finland, there is an ongoing demand for
organic food products and showed steady growth rates of 10% yearly, expected to grow $112.8
billion in 2020. With the GSP established, the Philippines should capitalize on the tariff
reductions and increasing demand (Oksanen, 2019). The Finns’ rising interest for tropical,
organic food products can be mutually beneficial to sustainable economic development in the
Philippines by emphasizing on indigenous produce. A prime example is malunggay coffee or
moringa. Malunggay is a common plant that is present in the backyard of Filipino homes. It
earned the nickname of “The Miracle Tree” because all of its parts from the leaves to its roots are
nutritional and bring healing properties. According to an Indian Advanced Biofuel Center, the
market for global moringa is estimated at US$4 billion. Because of its health benefits, it has a
great potential to be in demand locally and abroad. Moringa supports the immune system,
impish, improves general health, increases energy levels, and improves digestion (Arnason,
2018).

According to Wood (2017), Finnish people consume more coffee per capita compared to
any nation in the world. 14% of Finnish men and 6% women drink 10 cups a day. This is
because of the extreme temperature in Finland which can be as low as 40 degrees. It is also the
only country in the world where there is an official coffee break. Because of these, there is an
increasing demand for coffee in Finland. The whole food scenario is changing the city and
people are becoming more open with different tastes. This is an opportunity for the Filipino to
export malunggay coffee to Finland.
 References

Alcantara, M. L. (2019, August 23). PH benefits from rising European demand for organic
products . ​Philippine Daily Inquirer​. Retrieved from
https://globalnation.inquirer.net/159939/ph-benefits-rising-european-demand-organic-prod
ucts

Ani, P. A., & Castillo, M. B. (2019). The Philippine Coconut Industry: Status, Policies and
Strategic Directions for Development. ​Socio-Economics Research Division, Philippine
Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development ,​
1​(2), 1–9. Retrieved from http://ap.fftc.agnet.org/ap_db.php?id=969&print=1

Arnarson, A. (2018, May 4). 6 Science-Based Health Benefits of Moringa oleifera.

Healthline​. Retrieved from
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-benefits-of-moringa-oleifera

BOI approves Malunggay project. (2017, October 29). ​Philippine Information Agency.​
Retrieved from https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1001364

Butalao, S. (2020, February 15). Demand for organic food on the rise in Europe. ​Business
Mirror.​ Retrieved from
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/02/15/demand-for-organic-food-on-the-rise-in-europe/

Coffee in Finland. (2019, November). ​Euromonitor.​ Retrieved from

https://www.euromonitor.com/coffee-in-finland/report

Exporting moringa to Europe. (2019). ​CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs.​ Retrieved from
https://www.cbi.eu/node/2613/pdf/

Oksanen, E. (2019, July 7). Market for organic food growing fast. ​Daily Finland​. Retrieved
from http://www.dailyfinland.fi/business/11450/Market-for-organic-food-growing-fast
Organic food consumption in Finland - Statistics & Facts. (2019, June 20). ​Statista.​ Retrieved
from https://www.statista.com/topics/4234/organic-food-consumption-in-finland/

Rivas, R. (2019, December 27). PH trade deficit ‘alarming,’ says BOI official. ​Rappler.​
Retrieved from
https://www.rappler.com/business/248045-philippine-trade-deficit-alarming

THE EUROPEAN UNION—A STRONG ECONOMIC PARTNER OF THE PHILIPPINES.

(2020). Department of Trade and Industry. Retrieved from
https://www.dti.gov.ph/exports/27-main-content/emb-news/9877-the-european-union-a-str
ong-economic-partner-of-the-philippines

Wood, J. (25 December 2017). Why Finland Drink More Coffee Than Any Other Country.

Retrieved from
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/finland/articles/why-finlands-coffee-culture-reigns-supr
eme/