Martinique Coffee: The Forgotten Birthplace of Caribbean Coffee

When coffee lovers trace the roots of coffee in the Americas, they often land on Haiti, Jamaica, or Colombia—but few realize the story truly begins on a small French Caribbean island: Martinique. This is where the first coffee tree in the Western Hemisphere took root, setting off a wave of cultivation across the Caribbean and beyond. But today, you won’t find any meaningful commercial coffee production there. What happened?

Martinique was the birthplace of coffee in the Western Hemisphere thanks to a single coffee tree brought in the 1720s—yet it now produces almost no coffee at all. The island’s coffee industry peaked in 1777 with nearly 18.8 million trees, but today it’s effectively extinct as a coffee-growing region.

The First Coffee Tree in the Western Hemisphere

In the early 1720s, Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu, a naval officer stationed in Martinique, managed to transport a single coffee tree from France to the island. He planted it near Prechear, making this the site of the first coffee cultivation in the Americas. This humble beginning marked the start of coffee’s spread throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.

Where Coffee Was First Planted in Martinique

The very first coffee tree in Martinique—and by extension, the Western Hemisphere—was planted in an area called Prechear. This location is historically significant as the starting point of coffee cultivation in the region, later leading to the spread of coffee farming to nearby islands such as Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Guadeloupe.

Why Martinique No Longer Grows Coffee

Despite its pioneering role, Martinique’s coffee industry did not last. Historical records from 1777 indicate the island had around 18,791,680 coffee trees, but over time, cultivation declined dramatically. Today, Martinique no longer produces coffee commercially. The island’s fertile land is now primarily used for other exports, namely bananas, sugarcane, and pineapples.

The Legacy of Martinique’s Coffee Industry

Although Martinique no longer grows coffee, its historical impact is undeniable. The single tree brought by de Clieu initiated a agricultural movement that shaped coffee culture across the Caribbean. The island serves as a symbol of coffee’s global journey and the fragility of agricultural heritage. Its story reminds us that the world’s most cherished coffee regions were once just as vulnerable as the ones we worry about today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where was the first coffee tree in the Americas planted?

The first coffee tree in the Americas was planted in Prechear, Martinique, in the early 1720s by Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu. This marked the beginning of coffee cultivation in the Western Hemisphere.

Who brought the first coffee tree to Martinique?

Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu, a French naval officer based in Martinique, brought the first coffee tree to the island from France in the 1720s. He planted it in Prechear.

How many coffee trees were in Martinique in 1777?

By 1777, Martinique had approximately 18,791,680 coffee trees, indicating a once-thriving coffee industry on the island.

Why doesn’t Martinique produce coffee anymore?

Martinique no longer produces coffee due to the decline and eventual collapse of its coffee industry over time. The land is now used mainly for bananas, sugarcane, and pineapples.

What happened to coffee cultivation in Martinique?

Coffee cultivation in Martinique started strong in the 1700s but gradually disappeared, leaving the island with no significant coffee production today.

FrontStreet Coffee Beans for Historic Coffee Exploration

Though Martinique no longer grows coffee, explore its legacy with FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Humbera, a high-altitude Ethiopian offering with floral and citrus brightness echoing the delicate profiles of early arabicas. For a deeper, more rustic connection to historic cultivars, try FrontStreet’s Yirgacheffe—renowned for its jasmine and lemon notes. Both beans highlight the bright, nuanced profiles reminiscent of the early Typica lineage that likely descended from Martinique’s first tree. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.