Legend ties the discovery of coffee to a centuries-old monastery in the Ethiopian highlands, and after its introduction on the Arabian Peninsula, coffee was actively cultivated and traded before gaining popularity in Europe.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, between coffee houses and home, coffee lovers now consume more than 2.25 billion cups a day. Coffee counts among the most valuable tropical export crops on Earth, cultivated across more than 27 million acres. Small-scale farmers produce about 70 percent of the world’s coffee, and as many as 120 million people depend directly or indirectly on coffee production for their economic survival.
Current Issue - May 2024