Economics Masterclass for years 12 and 13: the £3.50 coffee – who really gets your money?

In this interactive masterclass with staff from the SOAS Department of Economics, you will uncover the global story hidden inside an everyday cup of coffee.

A flat white might cost £3.50, but how much of that actually reaches the farmer who grew the coffee beans? By tracing coffee from farms in the Global South through exporters, roasters and cafés, you will explore how money, power, and risk are distributed across the global economy.

During the masterclass, you will investigate questions such as:

• Who really profits from a £3.50 cup of coffee?
• Why do the people who grew coffee receive such a small share of its final price?
• What environmental and social costs are missing from the price we pay?
• How do history, gender and power shape global supply chains?
• What can different economic perspectives tell us about whether the system is fair, and how it could change?

You will also take part in an interactive economics game, making decisions, negotiating with others and competing for your share of the value, experiencing first-hand how incentives, bargaining power and unequal outcomes can emerge in real-world markets.

By the end of the session, you may never look at your morning coffee or a price tag quite the same way again.

On Campus Masterclasses are subject-based and are three hours long. They consist of a topic-based lecture and interactive activity, led by a SOAS academic. There is also a campus tour and a workshop on higher education led by Student Ambassadors.