UNIVERSITY OF AGRONOMICAL SCIENCES AND VETERINARY

MEDICINE
BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT, ECONOMICAL ENGINEERING IN
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Coffee an international plant brief history and current

evolution

Student : Linca Andreea-Cristiana

Master : Management in Agritourism and
Public Catering
Year : 2nd

Table of contents
The history of Coffee
i.

Origins

ii.

Coffee in the Arabian Peninsula

iii. Coffee comes to Europe

iv. Coffee in The New World
v.

Plantations around the world

Coffe nowadays
i.

Coffee around the world

ii.

Top 4 varieties of coffee

iii. The long way of the coffee beans before reaching the
coffee mug

i. Origins

Legend has it that coffee was discovered in 300 AD by an

an goat herder named Kaldi. One morning at the rise of
di set out to tend his daily path when his herd began
ly eating red and green berries from a low-lying bush.
nergy and an uncharacteristic charisma, the goats
icking up their heels in a seemingly joyful state.
Kaldi tried the beans. After succumbing to immediate
of alertness and unwavering energy, he shared the news
ew wonder berry with the people of his village, and
ickly spread. This prompted Arab traders in the region
the beans home to their farms where cultivation of
lants began. At harvest, the farmers boiled the beans,
g a liquid elixir, which they named Gahwa (translating
venter of Sleep.)
Today coffee is grown in a multitude of countries around
ld. Whether it is Asia or Africa, Central or South
, the islands of the Caribbean or Pacific, all can trace
ritage to the trees in the ancient coffee forests on the
an plateau.

i. Coffee in the Arabian

Peninsula
The Arabs were the first,
not only to cultivate coffee but
begin its trade. By the fifteenth century, coffee was
rown in the Yemen district of Arabia and by the
th century it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria and

was not only drunk in homes but also in the many public
houses, called qahveh khaneh, which began to appear
s across the Near East. The popularity of the coffee
was unequaled and people frequented them for all
f social activity. Not only did they drink coffee and
in conversation, but they also listened to music,
d performers, played chess and kept current on the
f the day. In fact, they quickly became such an
ant center for the exchange of information that the
houses were often referred to as 'Schools of the Wise.'
With thousands of pilgrims visiting the holy city of
each year from all over the world, word of the 'wine of
as the drink was often called, was beginning to spread
ond Arabia. In an effort to maintain its complete
oly in the early coffee trade, the Arabians continued to
guard their coffee production.

iii. Coffee comes to Europe

European travellers to the Near East brought back

of the unusual dark black beverage. By the 17th
, coffee had made its way to Europe and was
ng popular across the continent. Opponents were
autious, calling the beverage the 'bitter invention of
With the coming of coffee to Venice in 1615, the local
ondemned it. The controversy was so great that Pope
t VIII was asked to intervene. Before making a
n however, he decided to taste the beverage for
He found the drink so satisfying that he gave it
pproval.
Despite such controversy, in the major cities of
, Austria, France, Germany and Holland, coffee
were quickly becoming centers of social activity and
nication. In England 'penny universities' sprang up, so
ecause for the price of a penny one could purchase a
offee and engage in stimulating conversation. By the
h century, there were over 300 coffee houses in
many of which attracted patrons with common
s, such as merchants, shippers, brokers and artists.
Many businesses grew out of these specialized coffee
Lloyd's of London, for example, came into existence
dward Lloyd's Coffee House.

iv. Coffee in The New World

In the mid-1600's, coffee was brought to New

erdam, a location later called New York by the
h.

Though coffee houses rapidly began to appear,

ontinued to be the favored drink in the New World
1773 when the colonists revolted against a heavy
n tea imposed by King George. The revolt, known
e Boston Tea Party, would forever change the
ican drinking preference to coffee.

v. Plantations around the world

As demand for the beverage continued to

d, there was tense competition to cultivate coffee
e of Arabia. Though the Arabs tried hard to
ain their monopoly, the Dutch finally succeeded,
latter half of the 17th century, to obtain some
ngs. Their first attempts to plant them in India
but they were successful with their efforts in
a, on the island of Java in what is now Indonesia.
ants thrived and soon the Dutch had a productive
rowing trade in coffee. They soon expanded the
ation of coffee trees to the islands of Sumatra and
es.

The Dutch did a curious thing, however. In 1714,

ayor of Amsterdam presented a gift of a young
plant to King Louis XIV of France. The King
ed it to be planted in the Royal Botanical Garden
s. In 1723, a young naval officer, Gabriel de Clieu
ed a seedling from the King's plant. Despite an
us voyage -- complete with horrendous weather, a
eur who tried to destroy the seedling and a pirate
-- he managed to transport it safely to

offee is said to have come to Brazil in the hands of

o de Mello Palheta who was sent by the emperor to
Guiana for the purpose of obtaining coffee seedlings.
French were not willing to share and Palheta was
ssful. However, he was said to have been so
mely engaging that the French Governor's wife was
ed. As a going-away gift, she presented him with a
uquet of flowers. Buried inside he found enough
eeds to begin what is today a billion-dollar industry.

n only 100 years, coffee had established itself as a

ity crop throughout the world. Missionaries and
s, traders and colonists continued to carry coffee
new lands and coffee trees were planted
de. Plantations were established in magnificent
forests and on rugged mountain highlands. Some
urished, while others were short-lived. New nations
ablished on coffee economies. Fortunes were made
And by the end of the 18th century, coffee had
one of the world's most profitable export crops.

Coffee
Nowadays

i. Coffee around the world

During the last 50 years, coffee consumption

ased worldwide. The main producer and exporting
ries are located in Central and South America, Africa,
and Oceania. Due to their geographical location, as
as to the specific variety mix, the coffee output comes
e market in three periods yearly: the April group
il, Indonesia, Peru, Ecuador); the July group (Tanzania,
nican Republic, Haiti) and the October group (Vietnam,
mbia, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Honduras). More than 50
ries are producing and exporting coffee on the world
et. Coffee is a high value raw material export, and in
of the producing countries coffee is the backbone of
conomy and their exports are relying almost
letely on this product. Nevertheless, two countries
account for half of the world production: Brazil and
am, while the top 7 producing countries are providing
the total coffee output.

Recent studies indicate as main factors: globalization,

ansion of multinational food retailers, brands and
rers, improved travel opportunities, new media expansion
changes in traditional national food models. The highest
ease rates in the coffee consumption occurred lately in
itionally tea-consuming countries, such as Russia, China,
ea. In major importing countries which traditionally
umed coffee (such as France, Germany, Italy, USA), the
ee consumption increased slowly, but constantly, by 10%
over the last 20 years.
In Romania, coffee consumption decreased sharply in
80s, due to the severe restrictions imposed to food
orts. In that period, coffee became very scarce and the
k market flourished. In 1990 imports were liberalized and
ee imports and consumption increased 2.4 times in 20
s (1991 to 2011).
Consumption doubled between
0 and 2005 and then a diminishing trend appeared: it went
n by 10% between 2005 and 2009, and then resumed a
ht upward trend in 2010 and 2011. Still, the per capita
umption in Romania is the third lowest in the EU.

ii. Top 4 varieties of coffee

Today, they are known over 80 varieties of coffee

h are grown for industrial purposes the following
ties :
- Arabica - is a species of Coffea originally
enous to the mountains of the southwestern highlands
hiopia. It is also known as mountain coffee or
bica coffee. Coffea Arabica is believed to be the first
es of coffee to be cultivated, being grown in southwest
ia for well over 1,000 years.It is said to produce better
e than the other major commercially grown coffee
es, Coffea canephora (robusta), but tastes vary. Coffea
ica contains less caffeine than any other commercially
vated species of coffee;
- Robusta
- Robusta is a sturdy species of
e bean with low acidity and high bitterness; it is used
arily in instant coffee, espresso, and as a filler in
nd coffee blends;
- Liberica - is third in importance among
mercially produced coffees behind Arabica and Robusta
use of Libericas generally inferior flavor and aroma
acteristics compared to those other coffee varieties.
- Maragogype - Maragogype is a mutation of

Now more than ever, coffee drinkers can enjoy a

riety of coffee beverages - from a simple espresso and
presso - based drinks such as cappuccino, latte or
occaccino - to iced and cold-drink coffee beverages - to
vored coffees and special blends. Coffee can also be
hanced with an assortment of syrups, flavorings, and
ppings - from whipped cream and cocoa powder to
nnamon sticks and sweeteners.

v. The long way of the coffee beans

before reaching the coffee mug

Although, coffee travels a long way before reaching your

mug. Here are some interesting coffee facts:
- It takes three-to-four years for a coffee seed to
to a tree that produces coffee beans.
- Seeds are first planted in nurseries. Six months
year later, seedlings are transplanted to open fields.
s must prepare the planting ground for the small
gs by loosening and grading the soil.
- Approximately two-and-a-half years after
antation, the trees begin to flower and the flowers
e a small fruit known as a coffee cherry. In the center of
herry are two green coffee beans.
- Coffee plants grow best where there is plenty of
at certain times of the year and thrive in a welld, rich, volcanic soil. The plant does not like sudden
s in temperature, and frost can severely damage or kill

- During harvest, coffee cherries are hand

ked. It takes approximately 2,000 cherries - 4,000
ns, to produce one pound of roasted coffee.
- After being husked, sorted and bagged,
green coffee beans are shipped from the countries
ere they were grown to the countries where they will
manufactured and consumed.
nufacturing involves the roasting and grinding of the
ee beans, or the production of instant coffee. Once
nufacturing and packaging are completed, the coffee
eady for the consumer.
- The leading coffee producing countries of
world are Brazil and Colombia. The United States
orts and consumes more coffee than any other
ntry.

Hoping you have achived some informations about coffeeI only can tell
you