Where are the main coffee growing regions in Ecuador? What are the famous estates in Chimborazo Province?

South America is rich in natural resources, with the world's longest mountain range - the Andes Mountains, one of the highest mountain systems in the world - in its western region. The continent also features numerous volcanoes, abundant water resources, and extensive forest reserves. Predominantly tropical, most of South America experiences tropical rainforest and tropical savanna climates, characterized by warmth and humidity. Combined with fertile soil provided by volcanic ash, these conditions are exceptionally suitable for coffee cultivation, making South America home to several major coffee-producing countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador.

In addition to Brazil and Colombia, two countries consistently renowned for their high production volumes, we've increasingly seen coffee from other growing regions in coffee shops in recent years, including Ecuador.

Despite the country's modest production volume, Ecuadorian coffee has gained international recognition for its unique growing conditions and elegant flavor profiles. Coffee was introduced to Ecuador in the 19th century, but cocoa cultivation was the primary industry in several South American countries at that time, so coffee cultivation did not receive much attention. It wasn't until the 20th century, when cocoa plants were affected by cocoa swollen shoot disease and black pod disease - severely impacting farmers' incomes - that people began to shift their focus to coffee cultivation. Since then, coffee has gradually become one of Ecuador's primary industries.

However, this prosperity was short-lived. In the 1990s, a coffee price crisis led to a significant decline in Ecuador's coffee production. Additionally, the Ecuadorian government shifted its focus to developing the oil industry, causing the country's coffee industry to develop much more slowly compared to other South American nations. It was only in recent years that Ecuador's coffee industry began to recover and grow.

Ecuador: The Equator Country

FrontStreet Coffee has learned that "Ecuador" means "equator" in Spanish, and the country is also known as the "Land of the Equator." The country possesses an environment exceptionally suitable for coffee cultivation. Located in northwestern South America, bordering Colombia and Peru, Ecuador is a country with both coastal and inland territories. The equator crosses through the northern part of the country, while the Andes Mountains run from north to south, dividing the nation into three regions: the western coastal area, the central mountainous region, and the eastern region.

Coffee Growing Regions

The specialty coffee growing regions are mainly concentrated in the central mountainous area, primarily within the Andes Mountains, which are divided into the Eastern and Western Cordilleras. Between these two mountain ranges lies a plateau that is higher in the north and lower in the south, with an average elevation between 2,500 and 3,000 meters. This region features numerous volcanoes, including Cotopaxi, which is renowned as one of the world's highest active volcanoes. The area mainly experiences tropical savanna and subtropical forest climates, with permanent snow cover above 4,000 meters elevation. With its diverse climate, abundant rainfall, volcanic soil, and snowmelt water, these resources make this region a crucial coffee-growing area.

FrontStreet Coffee observed from maps that Ecuador's coffee-growing regions are distributed similarly to Colombia's, roughly divided into two major parts: north and south. The northern region primarily includes Carchi, Imbabura, and Pichincha provinces, while the southern region mainly consists of Loja, Azuay, and Chimborazo provinces.

Currently, the most renowned provinces in Ecuador are Pichincha and Loja, but Chimborazo province has begun to emerge prominently in recent years.

Chimborazo: An Emerging Coffee Region

Chimborazo province is located in central Ecuador, 150 kilometers southwest of the capital Quito, and takes its name from the conical dormant volcano Chimborazo within the province. Chimborazo is Ecuador's highest peak, reaching an elevation of 6,272 meters. This dormant volcano features multiple craters and numerous glaciers on its summit. Consequently, agriculture and livestock farming are well-developed in this region. Coffee is primarily cultivated at elevations between 1,650-2,000 meters, where fertile volcanic soil, pure glacial water, and abundant sunlight throughout the day provide an excellent ecological environment for coffee growth.

Hacienda Lugmapata: A Premier Coffee Estate

In the Chimborazo growing region, the most renowned estate is Hacienda Lugmapata, an enterprise operated by Merino Dávalos and his family. The estate is located in Palanda, Chimborazo, Ecuador. Although coffee cultivation only began in 2012, the estate now grows approximately 50,000 coffee trees, including multiple varieties such as Bourbon, Sidra, Typica Mejorado, and Pache.

This estate was crowned champion at the 2022 Ecuador Cup of Excellence (COE). In addition to growing coffee, the estate also purchases coffee from surrounding small-scale farmers for centralized processing and sale, teaching them how to produce high-quality coffee to improve the lives of residents in Palanda and surrounding areas.

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