Arabica and Robusta Coffee

• While there are more than 60 different types of coffee plant species, only ten are used to make coffee. By far, arabica and robusta coffee are the most commercially significant of all coffee plants. Arabica coffee is derived from the Coffea arabica plant. Approximately 70 percent of the world's coffee is generated by this particular species alone. Arabica coffee is described as mild and aromatic. Robusta coffee is grown from Coffea canephora var. robusta. In general, robusta coffee is less expensive and easier to grow than arabica coffee, and it is significantly higher in caffeine content.
  
  

Site Selection

• Coffee plants are a natural understory species that thrive in light shade to full sunlight. Coffee plants grown in full sunlight tend to produce more blooms, but will require more water and fertilizer than shade-grown plants. In general, coffee plants have a high water requirement. Water should be uniformly distributed, with a brief period of dry weather during the winter to break dormancy and induce blooming. Coffee plants thrive in humid locations that receive an average of 60 to 85 inches of annual rainfall.
  
  

Latitude, Temperature and Elevation

• Latitude, temperature and elevation are key factors impacting coffee-growing success. Coffee is grown worldwide between latitudes 22 degrees south and 25 degrees north. In terms of elevation, coffee plants are found growing anywhere from sea level to 7,000 feet above sea level. In general, highest altitude coffee is grown closest to the equator within the tropics, while lower elevation coffee is grown in subtropical areas slightly further from the equator, such as Hawaii or Brazil. The best coffee is thought to grow in areas between 2,000 and 6,000 feet above sea level in areas that have year-round temperatures between 59 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
  
  

Harvesting

• Berries are collected from coffee plants, during the dry season, as their color changes from green to a glossy red color. Ripe berries are harvested by one of three different methods, which includes selective hand-picking, indiscriminate stripping and mechanical harvesting. Hand-picking is time consuming, costly and, consequently, only used harvesting some arabica coffee plants. Stripping or mechanical harvesting are methods used to minimize labor costs. Growers will wait until at least 75 percent of the berries on plants become ripe before harvesting green and red berries alike.