Brazil: The largest coffee producer

Brazil: The largest coffee producer

Brazil, with 8.5 million km², is the largest country in South America, covering almost half of the continent. Brazil is currently among the top ten world economies. Coffee is still Brazil's most important economic product. Almost half of Brazil's total export revenues come from the agricultural sector, which employs about a quarter of the workforce. In 1920, Brazil produced about eighty percent of all coffee worldwide. While other coffee-producing countries increased their coffee production, Brazil's market share decreased significantly. The Latin American country is still the largest coffee producer in the world and is responsible for about a third of the total global coffee production.

The beginning of coffee production

The first coffee plantation in Brazil was established in 1770 in Rio de Janeiro. A small export to Europe quickly developed there. After 1800, the coffee industry experienced enormous growth. From Rio de Janeiro, coffee production rapidly spread to the south and west of the country. By the end of the century, São Paulo therefore became the coffee center of Brazil. Production shifted from the 'poor' soil of Vale do Paraíba to fertile and flatter soil with a better climate in the west of the country.

The tropical coastal strip, originally covered with rainforest, is where colonization began and where most major cities are located. Further south, this area becomes humid subtropical.

Many coffee farmers started plantations in Minas Gerais, the Brazilian Highlands, where almost half of the country's coffee is now grown. Minas Gerais consists of tropical rainforest in the north and transitions southwards into the flat forested savanna of Cerrado.

The types of coffee beans from Brazil

The coffee grown in Brazil is generally soft washed Arabica beans and sweet naturals with mild acidity.

Microclimates, within certain regions of Brazil, produce many good coffees. Especially specific regions like Cerrado, Matas de Minas, and Sul de Minas are known for their excellent coffee. The main types of coffee beans from Brazil are: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Cutai, Acaia, Mundo Novo, and Icatu.

Most premium coffee bears the label Santos, named after the port from which it is shipped. Brazilian coffee is grown at an altitude of 400 to 1600 meters above sea level. Many high-quality espresso blends such as the Kaldi Blend and Sicilian Espresso Blend are blended with Bourbon Santos or Brazil Cerrado because they can be roasted darker with a strong coffee flavour, without tasting too bitter and retaining their typical mild, balanced taste.

The best Brazilian coffee has relatively low acidity and contains a nutty sweet aroma, often bittersweet with a chocolate undertone. The mild taste helps balance a blend, which is why this coffee is found in, among others, the Evening Delight and Brazilian Style Special Mild.

A good Bourbon Santos has a medium to high quality and is a washed coffee with a medium to light body that grows at an altitude of up to 1,200 meters in northern Minas Gerais or in Sao Paulo, where the famous port of Santos is located. The sweet chocolate and caramel notes found in the Santos are due to the lower altitude where this coffee grows, when compared to, for example, a coffee with higher acidity from Central America where the average altitude is 1,500 meters.

Specialty coffee from Brazil

In 1990, coffee farmers in Brazil, which had long been the largest coffee-producing country, also began growing specialty coffee beans. The demand for specialty coffee grew worldwide. In addition, coffee drinkers looking for better quality coffee were willing to pay more for the coffee farmer's efforts.

The Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA) was founded to produce coffee of exceptional quality. The BSCA also established the Cup of Excellence. This is an important competition that can highlight unique microclimates. The focus here is primarily on the quality of the coffee.

Brazilian coffee quality has increasingly developed and improved recently. Many Brazilian coffee plantations are now renowned worldwide for their excellent quality coffee beans. Curious about Kaldi coffee with Brazilian coffee beans? Then visit a Kaldi nearby or view our Brazilian Style Special Mild coffee beans.