Coffee from Brazil

Coffee first came to Brazil in the early 18th century when, in 1727, lieutenant colonel Francisco de Mello Palheta was commissioned by Portugal to steal a coffee plant from French Guiana, a nearby territory under French control at the time. After supposedly smuggling the coffee plant into Brazil, Palheta began to cultivate it in the state of Pará.

Legend goes that coffee entered Brazil through the wiles of Francisco de Melo Palheta, who went to neighboring French Guiana under the guise of mediating a border dispute. Along the way, he seduced the governor’s wife, who in turn gave him a parting bouquet that included hidden coffee seeds. In 1727, the Portuguese entered the coffee market when those seeds were planted in the state of Pará.

From the day Francisco de Melo Palheta planted the coffee bean in 1727 to 60 million bags of coffee exported this year, Brazil kept its promise to keep people caffeinated. Interventions of the Brazilian government from coffee production to tax amnesty programs only show that coffee is one serious business. Ultimately, Brazil will take on any challenge headstrong to keep its throne as the king of coffee.

Some of the most popular coffee in the world originates in South America, and perhaps no country in the region does it better than Brazil. Since the 1840s, Brazil has been the largest player in the international coffee trade. Today, the country produces 40 to 60 million bags annually, and is also known for being the world’s largest exporter of instant coffee.

Coffee cultivation has evolved in significant ways throughout the course of Brazil’s historical and economic development, especially in terms of location of production. The coffee cultivation in Brazil began in the Northern region–state of Pará–in the 18th Century, and later shifted toward the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo (along Vale do Paraíba). Around 1850, cultivation spread rapidly toward the Serra da Mantiqueira and Santos. Later, in the 20th Century, coffee cultivation continued its expansion into the states of São Paulo and southern Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Paraná, and even into Brazil’s Northern region, in the state of Rondônia.

Throughout this expansionary period, the Brazilian economy as a whole was tightly coupled with the coffee economy, and the coffee market was highly regulated by the Brazilian federal government until the mid-1990s. Brazil produces around 25% of the world’s coffee supply. The largest international buyers of Brazilian coffee (in descending order) are Belgium, Japan, Italy, the United States, and Germany. Not only is Brazil the largest exporter of coffee, it’s also among the countries that drink the most coffee.

Brazil provides the rich soil and the hot humid climate that coffee plants thrive in. The low altitude fields of Brazil helps produce both arabica and robusta beans, but the crop is primarily arabica, mostly dry-processed. Towards the northern part of Brazil, where the terrain is flatter and the climate is hotter, shaded from the more direct rays of the sun, is where the robusta is grown. Robusta beans are used in instant coffees and are generally considered to be of lower quality. Robusta makes up about 20% of Brazil’s annual crop.

The best arabica which is considered as higher grade of Brazilian coffee is grown in the higher terrains of south of Brazil. Around eighty percent of that coffee is Arabica. Brazilian coffee trees flower about three times a year and are harvested shortly thereafter. Then the coffee beans are sorted from high quality to lesser quality for better blends to mass-produce.

Brazil has 14 primary growing regions, spread over 6 states, with the largest growing areas located in São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro. Much of Brazil’s coffee is grown on soaring mountain ranges that sweep up the country’s southeastern coast. Today, Brazil has an estimated 300,000 farms, of which 70%+ are small farms (less than 10 acres); fewer than 5% of farms are the vast estates that dominated 19th-century production. The majority of the beans exported in Brazil are Arabica beans.

Coffee companies use 20% of Robusta to make instant coffee, while 80% of Arabica beans are roasted for specialty coffee blends. The Robusta beans are cultivated in the northern part of Brazil because the terrain is flatter. The climate is also hotter there compared with the southern region where most Arabica beans are produced.

The majority of Brazilian coffee is produced under the Bourbon Santos Coffee Farm. Most Bourbon Santos are grown at elevations of 600 to 1.200 meters in northern Minas Gerais and in Sao Paulo in Brazil and are distinguished by their subtle, mild often sweet, nutty flavors. The low acidity of Brazilian Bourbon Santos derives from the region's lower growing elevations. This is low relative to areas such as Central America where higher elevation plantations (e.g., 1,500 meters above sea level) produce premium gourmet coffees that are brighter (higher acidity).

The ABIC (Brazilian Coffee Industry Association) was created in 1973 and represents the most important regulatory institution of the coffee industry. Its operations integrate industries, retail and consumption units. The institution counts with several programs focusing on the purity, quality of Brazilian coffee and, more recently, the sustainability in the coffee fields.

Coffees found on store shelves or in distribution warehouses (e g.. Amazon) are usually roasted weeks or months before they are sold. Roasted coffee beans should be 2-3 weeks old at most (if in a sealed valve bag), and ground coffee should be consumed within one week of being ground.

Sources

www.nomadcoffeeclub.com, espressocoffeeguide.com, www.natalriograndedonorte.com, www.arcgis.com, www.luckybelly.com, perfectdailygrind.com