Peru’s Minister of Production, Mercedes* Araoz, spent yesterday exhorting her minions to “drink more Peruvian coffee” as per capita coffee consumption in Peru is around 0.25kg a year, which compares to 5kg in Brazil and about 14 metric tonnes in Colombia**. In her words:
“If we in Peru consumed 5kg per person we would consume all our exportable supply. So we could double national production for the grain.”
Mercedes Aráoz said that if a person gets up early the best thing to do is to have “a little coffee. It’s a healthy drink, a good antioxidant and energizing. I drink it pure. Also, it’s not true that it stops you from sleeping”, she said.
So next we’ll have Peru Chamber of Aviculture wheeling out Aráoz for its “Eat More Chicken” drive, the sugar cane people with their “Sweeter The Better” and “Diabetes Is Not A Problem, Oh No” campaigns, then the national council for chocolate cake and its “Stuff Your Face and Get Fat Your Country Will Thank You For It” promotional tour. And so the emerging market countries raise their GDP and are applauded as they aspire to the model offered by all those developed world wondercountries.
Then comes the fitness club sector and diet foods….more GDP! And healthcare! And insurance! Ahh, ain’t life wonderful?
*shome coinshidensh, shurely, ossifer
**well….8kg in fact, but I like a laugh