Colombia
Colombia boasts the most diverse coffee-growing territory in the world. Its coffee growing areas stretch from the Equator to 12 degrees north in latitude, and from 72 to 78 degrees west in longitude over three cordilleras of the Andes Mountains. As a result, Colombia offers an unparalleled variety of top-quality coffees.
Colombia is the world’s largest producer of washed arabica beans – coffee beans of the highest quality. Most of the beans are grown on small farms – an average farm size in Colombia is about 4 acres – and, as a result, are cultivated with great care and almost “personal” attention by the growers. Coffee has long been an integral part of Colombian culture and identity. With 86 microclimates in seven geographic areas where coffee is grown, many Colombian communities have preserved centuries-old traditions of growing and cultivating the beans. As a result, Colombia offers the largest variety of specialty coffees in the world.
Brazil
Brazil is unquestionably the biggest coffee producing country in the world. With a seemingly endless expanse available for its production, coffee plantations in Brazil often cover immense areas of land, need hundreds of people to manage and operate them, and produce huge quantities of coffee.
A 'Brazilian' coffee is a 'mild' and the two terms are often used interchangeably. Both arabica and robusta are grown, though in different coffee growing regions. The ambient climate, soil quality and altitude largely determine which variety will grow best in which region. A fine cup of Brazilian is a clear, sweet, medium-bodied, low-acid coffee.