Coffee cultivation originated in Africa and wandered to the east and west forming three major coffee growing regions in the world. These coffee growing plantations are in Africa, Indonesia or the Pacifics and the Americas. In broad terms, African coffee beans tend to have a fruity or citrus like acidity. Indonesian beans tend to have a full body with some earthiness and not much acidity. And the Americas coffee beans tend to have a medium body with a bright, clean acidity.

Growing regions typically offer moderate sunshine and rain, steady temperatures around 70ºF, and rich soil. The trees yield beans that are the economic support for dozens of countries and about 25 million people. Among natural commodities, coffee beans have a monetary value surpassed only by oil. There are two main coffee trees, the arabicas and the robusta. Arabicas produce the better beans and account for about 70 percent of the harvest while the harsher robusta beans account for 30 percent.

African coffees are grown in the mountainous eastern half of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The coffees from this region are complex and have intense berry or floral aromas and flavors of berries, citrus fruits and chocolate. Kenya, Yemen and Ethiopia coffees are favorites of this region.

Indonesian coffees are usually full bodied, smooth, earthy with some spiciness. Java and Sumatra are two of the favorite coffees from the Indonesian growing region.

The last of the coffee growing regions are the Americas coffees. More coffee is produced in Central and South America than in any other growing region. These coffee beans are light to medium bodied with clean, lively and sometimes tangy flavors. Favorites of this region come from Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil and Columbia.

In the midst of altered and shrinking habitat in both North and Latin America, migratory birds have found a sanctuary in the forest-like environment of traditional coffee plantations. In eastern Chiapas, Mexico, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center biologists found that traditionally-managed coffee and cacao (chocolate) plantations support over 150 species of birds; a greater number than is found in other agricultural habitats, and exceeded only in undisturbed tropical forest. Even in very disturbed areas, coffee plantations support good populations of migrants and other species that prefer or are restricted to forest habitats, such as redstarts, black-throated green warblers, yellow-throated and solitary vireos, and residents including tinamous, parrots, trogons, becards, toucans, and woodcreepers.  However, because of recent changes in coffee production and marketing, shade coffee plantations are a threatened habitat. In the past twenty years, coffee has begun to be grown with no shade canopy at all. While this manner of cultivation produces substantially increased yields, these cannot be sustained for many years without intensive management (additions of chemical fertilizers and a range of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides); they are also subject to premature death in environments possessing a marked dry season, and they need to be renovated (plants replaced) much more frequently than the shade varieties. 

Discountjava.com carries an organic coffee that is grown on traditional shade-grown coffee plantations.  Ruta Maya Organic Coffee is grown in Chiapas, Mexico. Ruta Maya and the farmers in Chiapas adhere to three principles and goals: to produce organic, shade-grown coffee among and in rotation with other food crops.  These principles enable farmers to sustain and replenish the land for future generations while helping to promote conservation of natural resources. Click here to view our selection of Ruta Maya Organic Coffees.