Brazil’s first coffee seedlings were brought from French Guiana in 1727, arriving at the city of Belém in northern Brazil. Seeking regions better adapted to coffee cultivation, farmers migrated south through the states of Maranhão, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Paraná.

Coffee eventually became an essential product for the national economy. To recognize the country’s quality coffees, Brazil pioneered the juried Cup of Excellence competition a decade ago. Today, the country is the world’s largest producer, responsible for about 40 percent of production. Arabica makes up about 80 percent of the country’s coffee, with Conillon—a type of robusta that has become a valuable commodity in domestic and foreign markets for its use in instant coffee—making up the remainder.