Geography Of Coffee Essay

626 Words2 Pages

Alexis Krasnoff
3/21/16
APHG
Period 6
The Geography of a Breakfast Commodity
Coffee

Coffee is grown in subtropical and equatorial regions, as they have the best conditions for growing coffee trees.

Coffee beans are grown all throughout the world in more than 50 countries, including the U.S. (Hawaii), Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen, Indonesia, Vietnam, Uganda, and Bolivia. All of these countries are located in the region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, an area known as the “Bean Belt,” which has the ideal conditions in which coffee beans grow best. The trees thrive in places with rich soil, shaded sun, mild temperatures, and frequent rain.

Bean belt pic

The two most important species of coffee in the commercial coffee industry are Arabica and canephora (more frequently referred to as Robusta).
Arabica is generally mild and aromatic and makes up nearly 70% of the world’s coffee production, but is extremely difficult and costly to grow as the better Arabica trees are grown at high altitudes (around 2,000-6,000 feet above sea level), which can be difficult to access. The other 30% of the world market is Robusta, a heartier …show more content…

Mexican coffee often has an excellent aroma and depth of flavor, Costa Rican coffee has medium body and sharp acidity, and Yemeni coffee has a a distinctly deep, rich taste like no other. Many of the larger islands, such as Java, Sulawesi, and Sumatra, are renowned for their high-quality coffees. Indonesia is preponderated by small 1-2 acre coffee farms which produce beans that are rich, full-bodied, and have mild acidity. Also, farmers who want to sell their beans at higher prices can age them. The coffee is left to age in a warehouse, and Indonesia’s damp, warm climate gives the beans an even deeper body and less acidity, a process that is unmatched, even with contemporary agricultural

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