Brazil is the largest producer of coffee in South America.
Coffee arrived in Brazil in 1727, when Francisco de Melo Palheta reportedly brought seeds from French Guiana to Pará. Production spread southward, reaching Rio de Janeiro by the late 18th century and expanding rapidly as European and North American demand grew.
By the 1840s, coffee had become Brazil’s leading export and the country had emerged as the world’s largest coffee producer. Plantations expanded especially in São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro. The industry was deeply connected to Brazil’s history of slavery before emancipation in 1888, after which European immigrant labor became increasingly important.
Brazil remains the world’s leading coffee producer, supplying roughly one-third of global output in recent years. Minas Gerais is especially important for arabica coffee, while Espírito Santo is a major producer of robusta, also called conilon in Brazil. Colombia is famous for coffee quality, but it does not surpass Brazil in total production.