Coffee trees grow primarily in subtropical climates at higher elevations (2,000 to 5,000 feet). Coffee cultivation
and usage originated in either the Ethopian highlands (the highland region of Oromiya) or in Yemen, and has spread all around the world, primarily by
European colonization.
Coffee (botanical family Rubiaceae, genus Coffea) is primarily classified into two
species:
Arabica (Coffea arabica; with varieties including Typica, Caturra, Bourbon, Catuai). Arabica coffees, which make up the bulk of world production, are grown mainly in the
tropical highlands of the Western Hemisphere.
Robusta (Coffea canephora). Robusta coffees are produced largely in the low altitude, hot areas of Africa and Asia.
Their flavors are less mild than the arabica coffees.
South and Central America produce the majority of coffee traded in world commerce. Brazil and Colombia, are the
largest growers of arabica coffees. Brazil is the largest total producer of coffee and Colombia is the world's largest
producer and exporter of mild, washed arabicas. Viet Nam is the primary producer of robusta coffee and actual volume
of coffee produced (millions of bags) is almost equal to the production of Colombia. Indonesia is the fourth largest producer of coffee. There is a third
species known as Liberica, which is grown in Malaysia and West Africa.
Coffee is an evergreen, which means that it is a shrub not a tree (although they are always referred to as a tree
and resemble as such due to pruning). The shrub can grow to 15 feet in height. The shrubs need to be carefully
cultivated as the plant does not begin to produce fruit until after it first five years of growth.
The fruit is known as a cherry that ripens from a green color, to yellow, orange and then a crimson red. Coffee beans are the
seeds of these cherry-sized berries. The cherries are harvested primarily by hand except on large, level elevation
plantations. The cherries must either be picked selectively (labor intensive) to gather only ripe cherries, or tree stripped
and then the cherries must be sifted (either by hand or in water) to separate dry cherries, ripe cherries and immature
cherries. One hundred pounds of cherries produces approximately 20 pounds of usable green beans.
Some varieties, particularly Blue Mountain in Jamaica, is left on the tree to ripen even longer, well past the
stage that it could be harvested.
Once harvested, the coffee beans are separated from the coffee berries by either the:
dry method of spreading the berries on the ground and turning them often by rake so that the cherry shrivels,
usually about one day of drying.
or by the wet method (the primary commercial method, also known as pulping or wet mill) in which the cherries are soaked in water,
then the seed skin is peeled off (pulped) to expose the beans, which are fermented in water (approximately 12
to 48 hours) to remove a mucalige covering, and the beans are then dried either in the sun or in mechanical tumblers.
The left over flesh, mucilage and skin usually become compost spread around the coffee trees.
Dry method beans must still be hulled to remove the various layers of the cherry husk. Wet method beans are
hulled to remove the last vestiges of a parchment-like covering surrounding the bean.
The beans are finally graded and sorted by size, weight, color and imperfections.
Coffee beans are green when harvested and are purchased from the plantation (producer), national export agency
or intermediary by a "green coffee" buyer, who usually represents a "Roaster".
Green bean coffee is quite stable once dried and is bagged and can be stored in warehouses or shipped.
Green bean coffee is not the product that can be sold to consumers. Coffee takes on its distinctive flavor based
not only on the type of bean, the local environment that it was cultivated in (soil mineral content, mositure, altitude)
but also through the roasting process. [Some growers have started selling one bag or half bag parcels to individuals who would like
to do their own home roasting].
Coffee Producers
In Africa and the Middle East coffee is cultivated in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rawanda, Tanzania, Uganda,
Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In Asia, coffee is cultivated in Indonesia, Papua New Guenia, Timor and Vietnam.
In North, Central and South America coffee is cultivated in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
Hawaii is the only state of the United States where coffee is cultivated (arabica, which is grown on Maui,
the Kona region of the island of Hawaii, Kauai and Molokai).
Producing nation locations and regional bean types include:
Brazil: Bahia, Bourbon Santos
Colombia: Medellín, Supremo (from Antiiquia), Excelso, Bogotá, Narino, Manizales; Mesa de los Santos; there
are approximately 12 fair trade coffee cooperatives in Colombia. The well known Juan Vldez marketing name represents the
National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (Federación Nacional de cafeteros de Colombia), which is entirely owned
and controlled by Colombia's coffee farmers (cafeteros). In addition, Juan Valdez caféREALE is a 100% Colombian liquid coffee
extract.
Costa Rica: Agua Buena (Coto Brus county near the Panamanian boder), Alajuela, Tres Rios, San Marco de Tarrazú (central Costa Rica, Dota Coop of Santa Maria de Dota),
San Juanillo de Naranjo, Herediá, Monteverde; Arabica varieties cultivated include Caturra, Mondo Novo and Catuai. Approximately 60% of annual output of
coffee cultivated in Costa Rica is considered high quality. Brand names include Café Britt, Bardú Coffee, Café Rey, Café
Volio, Doka Estate Coffee and R.F. Meseta. Local Costa Rican cooperatives include CoopePueblos Cooperative (Las Brumas
brand); Coopbuena Cooperative.
Dominican Republic: has six offical coffee growing regions in the country -
Altura, Azua, Bani, Barahona, Cibao and Ocoa, all of which cultivate arabica beans.
El Salvador: Tacuba (located in the highlands of western El Salvador) has 3 coffee cooperatives: Las Colinas (Arabica),
La Concordia (Arabica) and El Sincuyo (Arabica), all which practice shade grown and organic composting cultivation
methods.
Ethiopia: Harrar, Sidamo, Yirgacheffe (sometimes spelled Yergacheffe), Kaffa, Djimah and Limu. Ethiopia is one of the largest
coffee producers in Africa and almost half of the annual crop is termed as "premium" coffee. In 2007 the Ethiopian
government trademarked the names of Harrar, Sidamo and Yirgacheffe beans and now licenses the name to roasters and
distibutors who retail Ethiopian coffee in exchange for brand building advertising, which neither the Ethiopian
govenrment of farmer's groups could afford to purchase.
Guatemala:
Acatenango Valley is located in south central Guatemala, southwest of Guatemala City. Along the foothills of
Volcán Acatenango, arabica Bourbón, Caturra or Catuaí is cultivated.
Atitlán is located in south central Guatemala, west of Guatemala City, around Lake Atitlán, which
is a large volcanic crater lake.
Antigua is located in south central Guatemala, southwest of Guatemala City.
Cobán is the rain forest region located in north central Guatemala, north of Guatemala City. Cooperativa Chicoj.
Fraijanes Plateau is located in southern Guatemala near the border with El Salvador.
Huehuetenango or the Huehue Highlands is located in northwestern Guatemala near the border with Mexico. In the
highlands of northwetern Huehuetenango, the Fedecocagua Grower's Cooperative cultivates arabaica.
Nuevo Oriente is located in eastern Guatemala along the border with Honduras.
Quiche region, located northwest of Guatemala City, is the location of the Chajulense Cooperative.
San Marcos is located in southwestern Guatemala near the border with Mexico.
Federación de Cooperativas de Verapaces (FEDECOVERA) is an association of 36 coffee cooperatives located throughout
the departments of Alta and Baja Verapaz.
Federación de Cooperativas Agrícolas de Productores de Café de Guatemala (FEDECOCAGUA) is an association of
23 coffee cooperatives.
Honduras: Department de Santa Barbara (Catuai variety); Department de Yoro (Pacamara variety),
Department de Lempira (Pacas variety); Department de Francisco Morazan (Caturra variety), Department de El Paraiso (Typica variety).
India: Mysore, Malabar
Indonesia: primarily robusta Java, Sumatra (Ankola), Sulawesi; Arabica is from Sumatra Mandheling and Sulawesi Toraja
Ivory Coast: primarily robusta
Jamaica: Blue Mountain (Arabica tipica), Blue Mountain Pea Berry, High Mountain
Supreme, Jamaica Prime, Jamaica Select (only arabica bean coffe
grown in the Blue Mountain areas designated by the Jamaican government's Coffee Industry Board under the Coffee Industry
Regulations 1953, these
areas being Mavis Bank (Mavis Bank Central Factory), Silver Hill, Moy Hall, Langley and Wallenford, may use the name
Blue Mountain Coffee). The certified area encompasses approximately 10,000 to 15,000 acres. Coffee grown outside the
certified area, and there is quite a large amount, is labeled as the High Mountain Supreme, Jamaica Prime, Jamaica Select
varieties indicated above. Other farms and cooperative include Aenon Town, Albany, Baron Hall, Bog Walk, Claredon
Park, Tarentum and Trouthall. Almost 90% of the Blue Mountain coffe bean crop is exported to Japan on an annual basis.
The cultivation of coffee was severely affected by Hurricane Gilbert in 1989, where it was estimated that almost 70% of the
existing fields and many factories were destroyed.
Kenya: Kenya AA
Mexico: regional names are Coatepec, Oaxaca Pluma, Altura (high altitude),
Liquidambar MS, Pluma Coixtepec, Chiapas, and Tapachula (in the states of Veracruz, Oaxaca and Chiapas); Varities
cultivated include Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Caturra, and Maragogype. Over 90% of the coffee cultivated in Mexico is arabica,
most of it at high altitude.
Nicaragua: La Central de Cooperativas Cafetaleras del Norte (CECOCAFEN),
consists of 10 cooperatives representing approximately 1,960 small producers of northern Nicaragua in the Departments of Nueva Segovia, Jinotega and Matagalpa (where
the cutivation of coffe was started by the Elster-Braun family in the mid 1800s), and produce
the Caturra, Catimor and Bourbon varieties, altitude ranges from 3,750 to 4,350 feet.
Panama: La Torcaza (western Panama) and the Boquete / Chiriqui highlands / Volcán micro-region.
Panamanian organizations include the National Coffee Exporters and Processors Association (ANBEC) and
the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP). The Boquete region is known for growing the Geisha / Gesha varietal;
The country also grows the Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai varietals.
Panamanian coffe growers include:
Bambito Estate
Cafe Sitton, S. A., Boquete
Cafe Ruiz (Casa Ruiz, S.A.)
Carmen Estate, Valle Paso Ancho (Franceschi Family)
El Burro Estate, El Burro region / Parque Nacional Volcán Barú, Boquete (Lamastus Family)
Elida Estate, Alto Quiel region / Parque Nacional Volcán Barú, Boquete (Lamastus Family)
Puerto Rico: Blends include Grand Lares (Alto Grande Hacienda), Yauco in southwestern Puerto Rico (Yauco Selecto arabica from Hacienda San Pedro and Hacienda Santa Ana), Cafe Tres Picachos (arabica from the area of Jayuya), Cafe Crema Supremo. Grown in the western highlands area around the towns of San Sebastián,
Las Marías, Maricao, San Germán, Sabana Grande. Unfortunately, there is insufficient manpower during harvest
season and not all of the crop is picked and delivered to market.
Tanzania: Arusha; Peaberry arabica
Uganda: Bugisu
United States: Hawaii Kona.
Venezuela: Tachira, Cucuta, Merida, Caracas
Viet Nam: primarily new growth robusta, new planting arabica
Yemen: Mocha Java
Zimbabwe: Chipinga
Coffee Roasting
Roasting means exactly that: the beans are heated at approximately 400 to 500 degrees in either a heated drum that rotates
and constantly tumbles the beans or a drum that rotates however, hot air is forced into the interior of the drum while
the beans are tumbled.
As the beans are heated they begin to darken as sugars carmelize and essential oil is excreted on the surface
of the bean. The greater the amount of essential oils excreted during the roasting process the more bitter the coffee will be when brewed.
The level of darkness is a reflection of the legth of time a bean is roasted at a sustained heat level, and results in
various roast grades (unfortunately, there a various competing grading classifications):
Light / Cinnamon / New England
Light-Medium
Medium / Medium-Brown / American / Regular
Medium-Dark / Dark-Brown / Viennese / Full-City / City / Light French / High Roast / Light Espresso / Continental / After-Dinner / European
Dark / Very Dark-Brown / French / Heavy / Spanish / Frech Espresso / Turkish
Very Dark / Black-Brown / Italian / Dark French / Italian Espresso / Neapolitan / Spanish
It takes over a pound of green coffee to produce one pound of roasted coffee as lower quality beans or under-roasted
beans have to removed.
A medium Roast, on average, takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
Lower quality beans are used to produce ground, instant and flavored coffees.
There are also several types of industry standard grinds: Espresso, Automatic Drip, All Purpose and Vending.
The length of time of roasting the coffee beans has nothing to do with the caffeine content of the coffee.
Caffeine is naturally occurring in the coffee bean (and in tea and chocolate; and as an additive to both cola and non-cola soft drinks). The American Medical Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
have both indicated that moderate consumption (approximately 2 cups per day) of caffeine on a daily basis is not harmful. The American Dietetic Association
has indicated that caffeine may help protect against gallstones, Parkinson's disease, cavities, and type 2 diabetes.
However, indivduals are affected differently by caffeine consumption: some are more sensitive to caffeine's stimulant
effect of temporarily increasing one's heart rate and it diuretic effect.
Coffee beans are constantly evaluated through "Cupping". Cupping means that a sample amount of beans are roasted, ground and then hot
water is poured over the grind to determine aroma and body. This sample is also tasted to determine flavor and acidity.
Cupping occurs in warehouses to determine the quality of the crop, on docks to determine that the shipment is the
same quality as was originaly sampled in the warehouse at time of purchase, by the Roaster just prior to roasting, and
during or just after the roasting process is completed.
Once roasted, either whole bean coffee or ground coffee needs to be vacuum sealed as the quality of the bean
begins to deteriorate through prolonged exposure to oxygen. Roasting is normally completed within the nation of
importation in order to deliver the product to the consumer quickly and avoid the decline in quality.
The supply of coffee is affected by weather conditions, the health of the coffee trees and harvesting practices.
Historically, weather has played a major role in determining world supply. Arabica, which grows in the tropical highlands
area of the Western Hemisphere, is primarily harvested by hand thus is very labor intensive as it is also harvested selectively:
only ripe cherries are picked and pickers have to go back again at a later date to pick secondary, newly ripened cherries.
The internal policies of the governments of producing countries with regard to number of trees planted, price
support programs and world export quotas have also impacted the amount of coffee available for world trade (for instance,
the collapse of an international agreement among the majority of coffee producers and exporters).
On the consumer side, demand for coffee has not kept pace with total production. Consumer preferences have shifted
somewhat in favor of quality coffee. However, this has not led to an overall total increase in demand. In addition, coffee
has had to endure competition from other beverages in the marketplace such as soft drinks and juices. There are also
conflicting health-related statements regarding coffee consumption that may also effect consumer preferences. The
United States is the largest single country consumer of coffee in the world (over 20 million bags were roasted in 2006).
Coffee Futures
Coffee is an internationally traded commodity whose price, the benchmark "C" price for arabica coffee, is set daily by active,
registered traders on the InterContinental Exchange trading futures and options on futures contracts. Each Coffee "C"
futures contract traded in the NYBOT coffee market is for 37,500 lbs. (approximately 250 bags) of Exchange-certified
arabica coffee produced in several Central and South American, Asian and African countries. On a daily basis, The “nearby
contract” (the Coffee C regular futures contract closest to expiration; contract months are March, May, July, September, December) is used as the benchmark for establishing the
"cash price". The NYBOT also has some oversight of physical market delivery and documentation (the largest port of delivery
for coffee being physically delivered to the United States is at the Port of New Orleans; other ports in the U.S. include Houston,
Miami and New York). The actual classification system
for the grading of coffee was established by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, (SCAA; for example, green coffee
is divided into five defined grades based on the number of full defects found in a formal sampling of the coffee).
All coffee delivered to, and stored in, exchange-licensed warehouses is sampled, graded (SCAA guidelines), weighed and
certified as deliverable under the contract in accordance with the certification rules of the Exchange. All other coffees
trade at a premium or a discount to the arabica coffee that is the standard for the Coffee C Contract.
Coffee prices have fallen over the years due to increased production. Prices have fluctuated from $1.20 per pound in
the 1980s, spiked substantially higher in the 1990s at one point to over $3.00 per pound in 1997, to
50 cents per pound by 2001/02, with a composiste price of approximately 83 cents per pound by the end of 2005 (some Robusta
sold as low as 53 cents per pound while some mild Arabica sold as high as $1.04 per pound). By March 2006 the price had increased
to an average of $1.11 to $1.14 per pound and ended the year at approximately $1.25 per pound. The highest price
reached in 2006 for mild Arabica was $1.2975 per pound but by mid-2007 the price had declined to $1.15 per pound (source: New York
Board of Trade). Thus, overall in the past 20 years the price is back where it started.
Fair Trade Coffee
Some coffe-producing nations and coffe-growing cooperatives within these nations participate in Fair Trade programs.
These programs encourage traders within importing nations to pay above market commodity prices to growers so that they
may earn a better living, assist in the development of environmentally sustainable farming practices and encourge healthy and
safe working conditions. Fair Trade products are then certified and sold in specialty retail outlets and some more familiar
retailers in the United States and Europe. The major Alternative Trade organizations (ATOs) or Fair Trade organizations (FTOs) include: the
International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT), Oxfam International, Fair Trade Federation, TransFair USA,
TransFair Canada, Fair Trade Labelling Organization International and Equal Exchange. Within the United States, some of the
major chains do offer some form of fair trade coffe product: Starbucks, Seattle's Best, Peete's Coffee, Green Mountain,
Procter & Gamble, Millstone.
Critics of Fair Trade programs indicate that commodity prices are low because of overproduction. Providing a subsidy
to the farmer through the Fair Trade program to continue to produce the same amount of the commodity rather than diversify
into a different agricultural product just continues to contribute to overproduction and depressed prices. Secondly, it
is unclear just how much of the subsidy really does get back to the farmer.
Certified Organic Coffee
This is coffee that is cultivated utilizing a minimum of 95% organic fertilizers and no chemical-based pesticides. Once
3 successive crops have been harvested the farmer can request that an agency accredited by the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) inspect the the farm and crop and be certified as USDA Organic.
Bird Friendly Coffee
This is coffee that is cultivated on a farm or plantation where local trees / shade trees are left standing so that
resident and migratory birds will have a viable habitat.
Coffee Companies
The largest coffee companies in the United States includes
Procter & Gamble (Folgers brand; operates the largest roasting facility in the world in New Orleans; Millstone Brand).
Kraft Food, Inc., (Maxwell House brand)
Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA (Chock Full o'Nuts, Hills Brothers, MJB, Chase &
Sanborn brands).
These companies produce bulk wholesale and retail coffee (arabica and robusta blends), and some single source / unblended specialty
blaends
The oldest coffee roaster in the United States is Gilles Coffee Co., located in New York.
Regional / Specialty coffee roasters include
Starbucks
Carribou Coffe Co. (Minneapolis)
Peet's Coffee & Teas
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (Waterbury, Vermont).
Farmer Bros., Inc.,
is an institutional coffee roaster (sources beans, roasts to order and grinds coffee for private label brands, wholesalers,
etc.) that sells a variety of coffee products to the foodservice industry (Farmer Bros. acquired Coffee Bean International
of Portland, Oregon, during 2007, which produces coffee for independent specialty coffee shops, chains and private-label retailers).
Colonial Coffee Roasters is an institutional roaster that sells a variety of coffee
products to independent coffee houses and restaurants, and also produces its own house brands, Colonial International
(100% Colombian) & Cafe Latino (espresso coffee).
Coffee Information Sources
Anacafé / Asociasion Nacional del Cafe (Guatemalan National Coffee Association) www.anacafe.org (Español)
Cafe de Colombia (Colombian Coffee Federation / FNC) www.juanvaldez.com/ Trade association for coffee growers in Colombia.
Coffee Association of Canada www.coffeeassoc.com/ Trade association for coffee roasters, retailers, importers and suppliers in Canada.
Community Agroecology Network (CAN) www.communityagroecology.net/
CAN is a U.S.-based non-profit organization that developed a "fair trade direct" coffee marketing system inking coffee
co-ops in Central America with U.S. consumers.
European Coffee Federation www.ecf-coffee.org/ Trade association for green coffee trade, soluble coffee manufacturers and roasters.
Federation of Cooperatives of coffee from Guatemala (FEDECOCAGUA) www.fedecocagua.org/
Federation of Cooperatives of the Verapaces (FEDECOVERA; Guatemala) www.fedecovera.com/
National Coffee Association of USA: www.ncausa.org/ Trade association for importers, wholesalers, roaster, suppliers and retailers in the United States.
CME Group / NYMEX Coffee Futures)
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