After having spent the past few weekends among the sprawling coffee farms in the verdant Brazilian mountains of Minas Gerais State, our Brazil expert, Gretchen Traut, is here to share 10 fun facts about coffee in Brazil as well as her top three favorite coffee shops in Sao Paulo!
Sunset in the mountains of Minas Gerais
10 FUN BRAZIL COFFEE FACTS
- Brazil produces about 30 percent of the world’s coffee supply.
- Situated in the southeastern part of the country, Minas Gerais is Brazil’s largest coffee-producing state; with nearly 2.5 million acres planted, Minas Gerais accounts for about half of Brazil’s coffee harvest.
- With a 28 percent share, Brazil is the top supplier of coffee to the U.S.
- Eighty percent of coffee from Brazil is a variety known as Arabica.
- Small-scale coffee farming in Brazil gained traction in 1888 after the abolition of slavery and the introduction of favorable immigration rules; currently, seventy-one percent of coffee farms in Brazil cover LESS than 25 acres.
- Following a trip to neighboring French Guiana, Lt. Col. Francisco de Mello Palheta planted the first tree in Brazil in 1727 and by 1820, coffee had become the most exported product in Brazil.
- Coffee-growing elevations in Brazil range from about 2,000 feet to 4,000 feet.
- Brazilian coffee is known for its clear, sweet, medium-bodied, low-acid qualities.
- Brazil is the world’s second largest consumer of coffee.
- Some experts predict Brazil soon will oust the U.S. as the world’s largest coffee-consuming market.
Gretchen grinding coffee at Refugio Andradas in Minas Gerais
A rainbow over the Refugio Andradas Coffee Farm in Minas Gerais
TOP 3 COFFEE SHOPS IN SAO PAULO
Hiking in Minas Gerais
Want to plan your next adventure to the coffee lands of Brazil? Contact us!
Your friendly Brazil expert,
Gretchen