The "Giants" and "monarchs" of the Coffee World in Brazil

Brazil is vividly compared to the "giant" and "monarch" of the coffee world. There are about 3.97 billion coffee trees there, and small farmers now grow 75% of the country's coffee. The number of coffee producers in Brazil is twice or even three times that of Colombia, the second largest coffee producer in the world.

Unlike in the past, Brazil's economy is now less dependent on coffee, which accounts for only 8% to 10% of GDP. Before World War II, Brazil accounted for 50% or more of the world's coffee production, and now it is close to 30%. But the country's impact on the world's coffee, especially on coffee prices, is significant. For example, two frost disasters in 1994 caused a sharp rise in global coffee prices. Since the introduction of coffee trees from French Guiana (Guyana) in 1720, coffee production has gradually become a science. Before 1990, the Brazilian government carried out strict monitoring of the coffee industry, with both strict intervention and price protection measures, and the state has been implementing minimum price protection measures for farmers, resulting in coffee overproduction. Before World War II, the remaining stock reached 78 million bags, which had to be burned by fire or thrown into the water to destroy. Since the opening of the free market in 1990, the original Brazilian Coffee Authority (IBC) has been replaced by the National Economic Association, the country's non-investment administrative body, which pursues a policy of non-intervention and allows producers to negotiate directly with exporters. The business activities of exporters are supervised by the government legislation, and the relevant departments register legitimate exporters.

As there are so many kinds of Brazilian coffee in Brazil, you can't just use the word "Brazilian coffee" to include it. Like other Arabica coffee, Brazilian coffee is called "Brazils" to distinguish it from "Milds" coffee. The vast majority of Brazilian coffee is unwashed and sun-dried and is classified according to the name of the state of origin and port of transport. Brazil has 21 states and 17 states produce coffee, but four of them produce the largest, accounting for 98 per cent of national production: Parana, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo, with the southern state producing the most, accounting for 50 per cent of total production.

Although coffee is diverse, Brazilian coffee is suitable for the taste of the public. For example, coffee produced in the northern coastal areas has a typical iodine taste, reminiscent of the sea after drinking. This coffee is exported to North America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Another kind of coffee that is interesting and worth looking for is washed Bahia coffee. This kind of coffee is not easy to find because Brazil is the world's largest consumer of coffee after the United States, and many of the best coffee can only be found in its domestic market.

In Brazil, the largest producer is Robbins. This kind of coffee is sold in the supermarket. Brazil's Robucht coffee, sold under the name Conillon, accounts for 15 per cent of total production.

Old bourbon coffee is grown on some estates in the Serrado district of Minas Greais state in southeastern Brazil. Old varieties of bourbon coffee grown on these estates, such as Capin Branco and Vista Allegre, are also sold on the market. Although they come from the same area, these coffees have their own characteristics. Cappinblanco coffee is smoother than Vesta Allegre coffee, while Vesta Allegre coffee is strong and black, both of which have lower acidity. However, like all Brazilian coffee, they are most suitable for drinking when they are fresh and tender, because the older they are, the more acidic they are. These coffee growers have organized themselves into the Brazilian Special Coffee Association (the Speciality Coffee Association of Brazil).