What Growing Conditions Do Coffee Varieties Need? Do Political Factors Affect Coffee Cultivation?

Have you ever worked out the approximate costs of growing coffee? How do coffee farmers decide which beans to plant on their farms to achieve the best economic return? Can they plant whatever coffee they want, or are they constrained by certain conditions and factors?

Now FrontStreet Coffee will explore several factors that influence farmers' decisions about which varieties to plant. There are many coffee varieties in the world. For example, FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain coffee variety is Typica, its Mandheling coffee variety is Ateng, and its Panama coffee variety is Geisha. With so many varieties to choose from, how do farmers decide which one to plant?

In the world of coffee, there are two basic families: Arabica and Robusta. If you are sitting in a specialty coffee shop right now, you are most likely drinking Arabica. If you drink some espresso, it is usually Robusta. This is not to say that all Robusta is bad; on the contrary, when mixed with Arabica in espresso, it can add very good cream and body. About 75% of the coffee grown in the world is Arabica. Arabica is known for its wonderful flavors, which is why it is so popular, but it is more susceptible to various diseases, especially coffee leaf rust. Robusta, on the other hand, has slightly higher caffeine content. It is not known for a special taste, but it does provide a higher level of disease resistance. In Vietnam, where 97% of the coffee is Robusta, it is the world's largest producer of Robusta coffee.

1. Farm Altitude

Altitude is an important factor in determining which coffee to plant. The general rule is that Arabica coffee is planted between 1,800 and 6,300 feet, requires 1,500-2,500 millimeters of rainfall annually, and prefers a slightly cooler climate range of 15-24 degrees Celsius. Robusta is usually planted closer to the equator and is happier in hot conditions such as those in Vietnam. Vietnam has an average annual rainfall of 1,800 millimeters, providing excellent growing conditions for Robusta, which is one reason it has become the world's largest producer of Robusta coffee.

2. Plant Price and Expected Return on Investment

The second factor in choosing varieties is the business side of growing coffee. The price of plants and the expected return on investment are obviously important in deciding which plants to buy. Should farmers plant the cheapest, highest-yielding varieties and try to profit from large quantities of coffee at harvest? Would it be better to plant Geisha, which will not yield close to Catuai's production and requires more care, but does command a higher price on the international market, in some cases reaching up to $350 per pound at auction? How much cash does the farmer have on hand to operate the farm during the first few years, when the plants are still growing and not producing? Should they choose a variety like Tekisic, which starts producing its first fruit just one year after being planted?

The answers to all these questions depend on each farmer's situation and the details of their plantation. As the specialty coffee market continues to develop and enter new countries and markets, the demand for high-quality coffee will keep increasing, and farmers' ability to predict that demand and adapt accordingly will become key to their ability to sustain themselves.

3. Political Factors Affect Local Coffee Farmers' Plant Selection

Abroad, many farmers' plant choices are often influenced by the political situation within a country. Many mayors or presidential candidates frequently donate hundreds of thousands of plants in their cities to win votes, since large numbers of farmers can be found within their districts. In a sense this benefits farmers, because their planting costs are reduced and they can get plants for free, but it does not always consider what kind of plants they are providing to voters. Additionally, producers who have been caring for coffee seedlings in nurseries - plants already adapted to the region where they will be planted - are hurt, because the increased supply of free plants depresses demand and prices for nursery plants, with a corresponding decline in price per plant.

Direct trade coffee buyers and coffee enthusiasts have a great opportunity to work with farmers and educate them on what kind of coffee to plant based on current market trends, and what produces best in their region based on their farm's climate and altitude. Working with farmers to establish their own coffee nurseries, where they can germinate, bag seedlings, and sell their own plants, also helps ensure future planting costs and sustainable practices. These simple practices not only help farmers maximize their return on investment but also enable us to benefit from what promises to be higher-quality coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The choices a farmer makes - which variety, at what altitude, with which process - are exactly what you taste in the cup, and Indonesia is a good illustration. FrontStreet's Lintong Mandheling comes from the Lake Toba area, where the beans are wet-hulled, the local method developed for the island's rainy, humid climate, and then roasted medium-dark. The result is a low-acid, full-bodied cup with Mandheling's signature herbal and spicy aroma and a mellow caramel and dark-chocolate sweetness.

Where a stricter selection is applied, the difference shows. FrontStreet's PWN Golden Mandheling is produced by Pwani Coffee Company on the G1 grade, sorted by density, size, shape, and color with a combination of machine and repeated manual selection, so the beans are whole, even, plump, and translucent. That extra care reduces the earthy and grassy notes and leaves a cleaner cup of sandalwood, herbs, spice, roasted hazelnut, caramel, and dark chocolate - an example of how variety, altitude, and processing decisions ultimately decide what ends up in the cup.