Coffee, a shrub which typically grows 4 to 6 m high, originated in central Ethiopia. It flowers for a few days and within 6-7 months the fruit develop, changing in colour from green to red at maturity. The plant takes 3-5 years to produce its first full crop.
Coffee production is one of the most economically feasible and popular cash crops. and is grown using beans of three species - Arabian (Coffea arabica), Robusta (Coffea Canephora) and Liberian (Coffea liberica). There are many varieties and strains. Arabian coffee accounts for 70% of production, but Robusta is increasing because the plants produce more and are more disease resistant. There is only small demand for Liberian coffee.
Major coffee producing areas are South America, Africa and SE Asia. Both Arabian and Liberian coffee require about 150 cm rain a year, Arabian in a more seasonal climate and cooler temperatures (15 to 24oC and Liberian in a more constant, warmer (24-29oC) climate. They cannot tolerate freezing.
Traditional coffee farms may provide one of the richest agroecosystems, both economically and environmentally. It is usually grown under a canopy of shade trees and provides a critical habitat for migratory birds. Coffee serves as the lower shrub layer of the ecosystem and the next layer consists of a mixed cover of fruit trees. Hardwood trees are present above those levels. This arrangement produces a generally stable production system generating a substantial amount of coffee while at the same time providing protection from negative soil effects such as compaction, high erosivity, helps to moderate the humidity and temperature within the area and allows the renewal of organic litter. The coffee layer, along with the other layers, within the farm provides an ecosystem for insects as well as other organisms.
However, a significant proportion of coffee is now grown in full sun following clearance of the forests - a practice that costs more and often requires pesticides and fertilizer products. The percentage of coffee cropland planted under reduced-shade conditions ranges from 17% in Mexico to about 40% in Costa Rica and 69% in Columbia. The shift away from traditional coffee production usually involves removal of shade cover, plot management, and the use or increased use of agrochemicals.
The photo is of Blue Mountain Coffee in Jamaica. Blue Mountain is a variety of Arabian coffee