Getting to know better the Coffee Belt

Ανάμεσα στους Τροπικούς, κρύβεται το μυστικό που μας δίνει απλόχερα τον αγαπημένο μας καφέ

There is no coffee lover who has not wondered about the origin of the beans that give him his favorite drink. But as we ask and learn about the origin of our coffee, we are in front of a diverse mosaic of countries: Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Brazil, Uganda, Indonesia ... what do all these countries have in common? They are lucky enough to belong to the "Coffee Belt".

What is the "Coffee Belt"?

By "Coffee Belt" we mean an elongated area defined by the Tropics of Cancer in the north and Capricorn in the south. This region, which intersects the equator and covers almost 70 countries, is characterized by a tropical climate and includes all the places where coffee can be grown and thrive. It was called a "Belt" because of its elongated shape, which runs through the entire planet.

Areas within the coffee Belt are characterized by fertile soils, mild temperatures, and periods of high rainfall alternating with dry seasons - a climate and morphology quite similar to that of Ethiopia, where coffee is an endemic plant. Also, in all these areas there are arable lands at high altitudes, which also favors the cultivation of coffee.

Also, several areas of the coffee Belt (in Latin America but also in Southeast Asia) also belong to the "ring of fire" of the Pacific Ocean, an area that includes 75% of the active volcanoes of the entire planet. Although volcanic soils are not necessary for coffee cultivation, fertile soils in volcanic areas are ideal for coffee cultivation.

Which countries are included in the "Coffee Belt"?

The coffee Belt includes about 70 countries, divided into three Continents (Asia, Africa and America). Examining further the coffee-producing regions, we distinguish Southeast Asia, Central - South Africa, Central and South Africa, as well as the Caribbean islands. Of the 70 countries that are fortunate to belong to the "Coffee Belt", about 50 have more or less developed the cultivation of coffee over time.

The westernmost point of the "Belt" is located in Mexico, while the easternmost in Papua - New Guinea. Its northernmost point is in Nepal and China, while its southernmost point is in Madagascar, Africa, where coffee cultivation is limited. It is worth noting that there is no European territory that produces coffee, while the United States can be considered a coffee-producing country thanks to a "weirdness": Hawaii, although far from the bulk of the US, is one of its states and at the same time belongs to in the "Coffee Belt", producing an exquisite and limited coffee production. Finally, while coffee started as an Arab Monopoly and much of the Arabian Peninsula belongs to the "Belt", coffee is grown only in Yemen, as the desert conditions of Arabia discourage any kind of cultivation.

The position of a country in the "Coffee Belt" does not affect the quality of coffee it produces, but only guarantees the right climatic conditions for its cultivation. The quality of coffee depends on many characteristics (what we call terroir) and each country produces coffees with different organoleptic characteristics, which are not necessarily "better" than each other.

How did coffee cultivation spread in these areas?

Coffee is an endemic plant of Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the first place it passed, after its discovery by man, was neighboring Yemen, on the opposite shore of the Red Sea. For years, coffee was a strictly Arab affair, with beans from both Yemen and Ethiopia being exported roasted around the world.

An Indian Sufi monk, Baba Budan, managed to extract coffee beans and plant the first coffee trees in India in the 16th century. In the 17th century, seeds from these coffee trees were planted in Indonesia, as they were sent as a gift from the Dutch governor of Malabar to the colonial authorities of Java. Shortly afterwards, the mayor of Amsterdam would present King Louis with a coffee tree, and the French colonialists would plant coffee trees first on the island of Martinique, and then on other Caribbean islands.

It is the time of the widespread spread of coffee, due to the constant search for new resources and new arable land in the area by the colonial powers of the region. From the Caribbean, the coffee will reach Mainland Latin America, first in the South and then in the Central. At the same time, the continued conquest of African territories by the Europeans will lead to the import of coffee trees from Ethiopia, as well as from countries in Asia and the Caribbean. It is the beginning of a new era and the creation of the "Coffee Belt".



From Mexico to New Guinea and from Madagascar to North India, what always counts and first is good coffee - the coffee we deserve!