|
From its origins in Ethiopia, where the main
coffee production is still from wild coffee tree forests, coffee consumption has
spread throughout the world. But because of its requirement for ample sunshine
and rain, the plants from which beans are produced grow only in tropical or
sub-tropical regions.
From a narrow band centered on the equator of around 23 degrees North to 25
degrees South comes all of the world's source of the liquid that a Turkish
proverb calls "black as hell, strong as death, sweet as love." As a commodity,
coffee -- from beans grown in over 70 countries -- is second only to oil in
dollar volume.
Brazil remains by far the largest coffee bean producer with an average output of
28% of the total. Even world-renowned Colombia is a distant second at only 16%,
with Indonesia less than half that at 7%. Mexico, the fourth largest producer,
is half again at 4%.
altitude is everything
Coffee trees produce the best beans in high altitudes but have adapted to a
variety of areas.
In Brazil, the plantations cover huge areas and employ hundreds of workers to
tend the plants. In Colombia, the rugged mountains and poor economic conditions
mean transportation to processing centers is still largely carried out by mule
or Jeep.
While Colombia has the tree-lined mountains, Hawaiian producers plant on the
slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano. The black volcanic ash is rocky, but perfect
for the plants where the intense afternoon sun is softened by tropical clouds.
Frequent island showers provide the ample rain needed.
Indonesia is composed of thousands of islands, where coffee has been grown since
the Dutch colonists introduced it in the 17th century. Though other countries
have greater technology, no one exceeds the helpful warm, damp micro-climates
found here. Hundreds of one-to-two acre farms on the largest islands of Sumatra,
Java and Sulawesi combine to secure the country's third place position.
small but mighty
Plantations in Mexico, by contrast to Brazil, are primarily small farms but
with over 100,000 of them, the total still makes the country a serious
competitor in the world market. Most are located in the south, in Veracruz,
Oaxaca and Chiapas with the special Altura beans indicating their origin in the
high altitudes.
Vietnam in recent years has rapidly been challenging Indonesia's position as the
Tonkin area recovers from decades of stagnation. First planted with arabica
trees in the mid-19th century by French missionaries, the small plantations now
produce robusta, one of the two main types of plant.
Africa, Kenya and the Ivory Coast, though smaller producers are world-famous for
the dark, large beans grown there. In the foothills of Mount Kenya grow some of
the largest in the world which go to produce a well-known fruity coffee. The
Ivory Coast holds its position as one of the world's largest producers of
robusta, often used in espresso blends.
Whether the Brazilian Liberdade, the Costa Rican La Fuente, the Indian Monsoon
Malabar or the Tanzanian Peaberry, coffees from around the world continue to
find eager consumers everywhere.
|
