Cameroon

Coffee farming in Cameroon dates to 1880s, during the German colonial era, when coffee producers began to cultivate the Jamaican Arabica crops. Later on they imported Robusta crops from Congo, almost completely supplanting Arabica cultivations, which still nowadays represent only 1/3 of total coffee production in Cameroon. In this country coffee production is held by some smallholder farmers, who own plantations ranging between 2 and 10 hectares, giving rise to extraordinary special blends.

The area near Yaoundè, the capital city, offers the best balanced climatic conditions for coffee cultivation. Main varieties are natural Robusta and washed Arabica; the second one stands out for its excellent aroma and spicy taste. After periods of ups and downs, many farmers decided to abandon coffee cultivation because of a sharp fall in prices. Subsequently, it has been launched a recovery plan in order to support the production, improving the productivity of plantations, introducing new crops and a more advanced machinery.

Today in Cameroon you can find some excellent coffees, as the one obtained from Coffea charrieriana, a very peculiar variety which produces caffeine-free beans.