Puerto Rican Coffee Industry
The story of the Puerto Rican coffee industry is tragic and long; filled with natural disasters and political unrest that has changed the course of coffee industry and the overall island. In just over a century, Puerto Rico went from one of the top coffee producers in the world to a near unknown outside of the island. Even today, Puerto Rico loses hundreds of farms a year due to storms and governmental price fixing.
In spite of the numerous hurdles facing farmers today, the current climate has also opened up opportunities to refocus on specialty coffee. Puerto Rico is one of only two locations in the United States to grow coffee (Hawaii being the other) and at Erie Coffee Roasters we feel an obligation to spread the word! Not only is it our fellow American farmers growing this incredible, highest-quality coffee, some on the island are part of the growing movement to bring back the original strains of coffee grown on the Island, known as the "Coffee of the Popes and the Kings". Learn more about this effort at The Forgotten Forest Project.
Check out our Sandra Farms Natural here, winner of Bronze at the 2022 Golden Bean award.