#007 - Latitude vs. Altitude. How Nature Imposes its Characteristics on Coffee.

Renato Stivanin
4 days ago
3 min read

The area available for producing coffee is very limited, restricted by weather conditions. Arabica coffee is produced at high altitudes. Robusta coffee is produced at low altitudes.

That is widely known…

But why? And what is the impact of latitude and altitude on quality, yields and prices?

Arabica is only produced in regions that present stable temperatures, rainfall and 12-hour daylight. Deviations result in worse conditions and risks, such as frost or vulnerability to pests. Indeed, Brazil has a history of frosts damaging 40% of production in several areas - which is enough to destabilize the regional supply chain for a very long time.

There is a long history of trial and error. Coffee culture has been tried in many regions. It originated in shaded forests in Ethiopia's highlands and spread to Yemen through trade routes. European colonization then exported the crop to tropical colonies: Dutch in Java; Portuguese in Brazil; French in Vietnam and the Caribbean.

The conclusion… Arabica prefers 1,000 – 2,100 m in equatorial zones and 550 – 1,100 m at more temperate zones. Robusta tolerates below 900 m universally.

Several technical articles* mention that these factors lead to quality, yields, and prices discrepancies. We simply tried to qualify:

On Quality:

Elevation impacts maturation period (from 5 – 7 months at low altitudes to 9 – 11 months above 1,500 m), which prolongs sugar and acid development and yields denser beans. Higher altitude leads to superior cupping scores. Scores rise 5–10 SCA points per 500 m gain.

- Lower-altitude coffees (< 1,500 m) present heavier body, reduced complexity and higher acidity (pH 5.3 – 5.6).

- Higher-altitude coffees (>1,500 m) present floral aromatics, smoother mouthfeel and lower acidity (pH 4.8 – 5.2).

On Yields:

Elevation reduces vulnerability to pests, but increases vulnerability to frosts.

- Medium altitudes (1,200 – 1,400 m) maximize output of Arabica to up to 2,000 kg/ha.

- Lower altitude exposes arabica to lethal pests. While robusta is more resistant and becomes highly productive, yielding 2.500 kg/ha.

- Higher altitudes (>1,800 m) minimizes defects due to lower pest damage, but drop output by 20-30%, yielding 1,200 - 1,800 kg/ha.

On Prices: Arabica and Robusta are completely different. Arabica is no longer a commodity.

- Robusta from lower-altitude is simply priced as a lower quality commodity, trading at $1.50 – 2.50/lb.

- Arabica from higher-altitude has a very broad price range, trading at $5–15/lb.

These characteristics make the coffee producing regions very limited. On top of natural characteristics, there are also economic reasons, such as a reliable workforce and supply chain. In the longer term, it will be interesting to see how the coffee production expands to meet growing demand. There may be a nice discussion about nature vs. technology.

Thinking long term…

While best practices and technology are clear positives. Climate change is a huge negative.

Central American suitable areas are projected to be shrinking 38–89% by 2050, pushing minimum altitudes from 600 m to 1,000 m, with yield losses up to 19% per 1°C chill stress in marginal latitudes.

Best practices do optimize these parameters. Shade-grown systems enhance biodiversity and yield 15% more at mid-altitudes. Drip irrigation counters drier conditions. Organic fertilization preserves acidity.

These are great practices. Lets see if these techniques will be enough to supply the growing coffee demands from increasingly sophisticated coffee lovers.

*Sources: Sweet Maria's analysis from 2021 correlates density to specialty grades; IIETA’s 2024 study in Indonesia; MDPI’s 2024 study in Peru; NOAA projections;

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