Colombian Coffee
Learn more about the history of coffee in Colombia and why its so popular.
Introduction
Coffee is one of Colombia’s most known resources, being a staple in most American diets. Many cafes and coffee Blends use Colombian coffee, due to its well-balanced flavour profiles and its rich aroma. It was introduced to Colombia in the early 1800’s by Jesuit Priests and has only grown since.
History
Though the industry didn’t spike immediately, leaders in New Granada influenced the growth tremendously. Francesco Romero used the Church to shape the industry, encouraging people to plant 3-4 trees. This plan worked wonderfully, causing Coffee to become a building block for Colombian society. Coffee production soon spread to Colombia’s northern lands, and in 1835, international trade began.
Coffee Trade
Trade began with Colombia sending about 2,500 bags of coffee to the United States (one bag being approximately 132lb of coffee). The World Economy for coffee took of in 1850-1857, causing the Colombian coffee economy to take off in 1863. In the late 19th century, coffee became a staple crop. By the early 20th century, Colombia was exporting almost 600,000 bags of coffee a year. This was a 25% increase in the last 25 years. This was mainly due to the uptake of wealthy landowners in Bogota. Colombia soon took its spot as the #3 most known coffee exporter in the world.
Colombian coffee is grown deep in the Andes Mountains, which are an ideal location for coffee growth and plantation. It is mostly grown in the regions of Antioquia, Risaralda, and Caldas, due to their ideal climates. Rich, plentiful rain is a regular occurrence and rich volcanic soil is present. The Andes tropical climate due to its proximity to the equator and altitude provides cool temperatures which coffee plants adore. Antioquia is one of Colombia’s largest coffee production regions, due to its diverse microclimates which provide many different flavor profiles and intensities of coffee.