BRAZILIAN COFFEE PRODUCTION: FROM ITS HEYDAY TO DECLINE, WITH A FOCUS ON THE PARANÁ SCENARIO

Abstract

This study aims to explore the history of coffee cultivation in Brazil and highlight the environmental, agronomic, and market-related factors that contributed to the decline of Brazilian coffee farming, with a focus on the state of Paraná. Coffee cultivation has played a significant economic and historical role in Brazil. It was introduced in the state of Pará in the mid-18th century and later spread throughout the national territory. One of the states that stood out the most in coffee production was Paraná, where coffee became the state’s primary product for both production and export from the early 20th century until the early 1970s. The crop was responsible for the emergence and development of several cities, especially in northern Paraná, which attracted immigrants seeking land and better living conditions. However, this cycle was not solely marked by prosperity. Coffee farming suffered major setbacks over the years, such as the Great Economic Crisis of 1929 and the severe frosts that occurred after 1970, particularly the devastating Black Frost of 1975. These climatic events, combined with increasing competition from other crops such as soybeans and corn, ultimately led to the decline of coffee cultivation in the region.