For over a century and a half, Brazil has been the world’s biggest source of coffee. While it accounted for up to 80% of the global market in the past, currently it produces around a third of its total supply. In 1727, coffee made its way to Brazil when the country was still governed by Portugal. The beverage was imported from French Guina, marking its first introduction to the South American country.
It was Francisco de Melo Palheta who introduced coffee to Brazil, planting it in the Para region located in the northern part of the country. When he came back home, the coffee he planted was likely for his own personal use. It wasn't a major commercial crop until it moved southwards, being transferred from one garden to another and from farm to farm as it went.
In the early 1800s, coffee production in Brazil skyrocketed, surpassing the needs of its own citizens and providing enough to launch it into the international market. Wealth and power were consolidated in the hands of a few coffee barons who owned and managed coffee production. Their demands and needs heavily influenced government policies and their support for the coffee industry.
By the 1920s, Brazil had become a major player in the global coffee market, with their bean production accounting for an astounding 80% of the world's supply. This abundance of coffee not only bolstered their economy, but funded much of their infrastructure projects as well. The excess production of coffee during this period resulted in an oversupply that only made the already severe effects of the Great Depression worse. In Brazil, the government set fire to 78 million bags of stored coffee as an effort to increase coffee prices, but it actually had very little effect.
Brazil is currently the most advanced and industrialized coffee producer in the world. Although its focus has been on boosting yield and production, it hasn't been able to achieve a high-quality standard for its coffees. The Pulped Natural Process, which was introduced in the early 1990s, provided a considerable boost in quality. Although Brazil has earned a reputation for producing coffee with low acidity, specialized coffee growers in the country are challenging this assumption. They are known to hand-pick their coffee, wash them according to specific protocols and grow varieties with higher altitude. All of these activities help create coffees with a higher level of acidity and intense body that is ideal for espresso blends.
Despite the majority of Brazil's coffee being grown in lower altitudes, that does not mean there aren't some amazing and tasty coffees available. It is still possible to find quality beans from this region. Equally, the country produces some very clean and sweet coffees without much acidity that many people find delicious and very approachable. 413 Inspired Coffee (www.413inspiredcoffee.com) sells Brazilian Gourmet Coffee at a very reasonable price. This is a medium roast from the world’s largest coffee producer. Bourbon Santos describes the producing area and port through which the coffee is shipped. This gourmet coffee delivers excellent body and balance with mild acidity.