Coffee production in Ecuador facts for kids
Coffee production in Ecuador is super important! Ecuador is one of only 15 countries worldwide that grows and sells both main types of coffee: Arabica and Robusta. Because Ecuador has many different natural environments, called ecosystems, coffee can be grown all over the country. This even includes the famous Galápagos Islands!
Contents
A Look Back: Coffee's History in Ecuador
How Coffee Started in Ecuador
Coffee first came to Ecuador around 1860. It was planted in a place called Jipijapa in the Manabí area. When Ecuador started trading more with other countries, many small coffee farms began to grow. This helped the country's economy a lot. It happened around the same time that cocoa production also became very important.
Coffee Grows and Grows
In 1903, coffee farming slowed down a bit. But just two years later, it started growing fast again! Ecuador began selling its coffee to many countries in Europe. The coffee was shipped from the port city of Manta.
Let's look at how much coffee was exported (sent out of the country):
- In 1935, Ecuador exported 220,000 "sacos" (which are bags of coffee).
- By 1960, this number jumped to 552,000 bags.
- In 1975, it almost doubled again to 1,018,000 bags.
- By 1985, a huge 1,810,000 bags were exported!
Even though there was a small dip in the 1990s, coffee exports grew again. In 2001, Ecuador produced about 1,062,000 bags of coffee each year. This is equal to about 63,720 metric tonnes! About half of that was sold to other countries.
In 2001, about 262,060 hectares of land were used for coffee. By 2012, this was around 200,000 hectares, with 150,000 hectares actively producing coffee. Today (around 2012), Ecuador produces about 650,000 bags of coffee (60 kilograms each) every year. Most of this (60-70%) is Arabica coffee, and the rest is Robusta.
Where Coffee Grows in Ecuador
Coffee is grown in many different parts of Ecuador. The type of coffee grown often depends on the province.
Here are the main provinces where different types of coffee are grown:
| Variety of coffee | Provinces |
|---|---|
| Arábigo lavado (Washed Arabica) | El Oro, Manabí, Loja, Guayas and Zamora Chinchipe |
| Arábigo natural (Natural Arabica) | Loja, Manabí, El Oro, Los Ríos and Guayas |
| Robusta | Pichincha, Orellana, Sucumbíos, Guayas, Los Ríos and Napo |
Selling Coffee to the World
Growing, making, selling, and exporting coffee is a very important part of the economy of Ecuador. Because of this, private companies and the government work together. They want to help coffee farmers and improve the coffee trade. This helps the whole country.
Groups like CORPEI, COFENAC, and ANCAFE (which is the National Association of Coffee Exporters) help promote Ecuadorian coffee around the world.
The farmers who grow coffee and the people who export it make a big difference to Ecuador's economy. As of June 2012, Ecuador was selling its coffee to 29 different countries! Most of this coffee (over 80%) went to Russia, Poland, Germany, Colombia, Italy, and the Netherlands.
See also
In Spanish: Café de Ecuador para niños
