Coffee Growing Regions
Alright, it’s quiz time. Ready?
What country is the world’s largest producer of coffee?
Don’t cheat and Google it. What’s your guess?
Did you say Colombia? That is the country that usually comes to my mind when thinking of coffee production.
At the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Exposition, a coffee producing country is highlighted as the official portrait country. This year the official portrait country was Brazil, the largest coffee producer in the world. Yes, the correct answer is Brazil!
If you answered the question correctly, congratulations, you’re a coffee buff! If you guessed another country, don’t worry I was right there with you. After I learned that Brazil is the largest producer of coffee, that got me thinking, what are the other coffee producing countries? Where are they located?
The majority of coffee producing nations are located within a region of the world called the Coffee Belt, or some refer to it as the Bean Belt. This belt is located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
Why are so many coffee producing nations located within this “belt� Well, this area of the world offers the ideal conditions for cultivating coffee. In general, coffee is a crop that requires ample rainfall, sunshine, fertile soil and warm temperatures. Where these climatic conditions exist varies from country to country, and region to region; therefore, coffee is grown at various altitudes. Different altitudes, climates, and soil conditions give coffee beans distinct flavor profiles. Looking at the map, it’s amazing to see the stretch of coffee production throughout the world!
If you would like to learn more about the Coffee Belt, check out these sites.