Coffee farming is described as the practice of growing coffee seeds for the purpose of consumption and further processing.
Coffee is consumed by millions of people worldwide, as a seed and as a by-product. The coffee industry is so big that it provides jobs for almost 124 million people across the globe. While it’s great to have a cup of coffee drink every now and then, it’s also important to know where coffee comes from, how it is grown and how it is processed.
Thee are three major types of coffee farms. They include:
Due to its high quality, organic coffee is usually more expensive than standard coffee beans.
Small Family-Owned Farms
Do you know that over 80% of the world’s coffee is produced by small-scale farmers? Well, over 125 million people are employed by coffee farming and 25 million are coffee farmers. They the ones who make it possible for you to have a cup of coffee every morning.
On maturity, coffee plants produce fruits and the seeds are called ‘beans’. Most people eat the coffee fruit raw, however, it’s not a common practice.
After the coffee seeds are planted, it takes about three to four years for the coffee plant to produce its first fruit. After the plant blossoms and produces its first fruit, the cherries take another one year to mature.
It takes about six weeks to process coffee properly. Firstly, the coffee is placed under the sun to dehydrate the cherry and prevent the fruit from deteriorating. To dry the coffee, aerated and raised beds are used. While the coffee is being dried by the sun, the farmers usually turn the coffee to ensure uniform dehydration. When there’s rainfall, the cherries are covered.