Terroir - Coffee from seed to harvest

by Jem Challender / Barista Hustle Education

Great coffee is the result of a plant's genotype and the terroir around it. Environmental factors such as climate and soil, combined with farming techniques, create a farm's specific environment, or terroir.

Some environmental factors that affect a coffee plant over its lifetime, such as the altitude at which it grows, cannot be changed. Others, such as soil nutrition, can be adjusted, but often only with enormous capital expenditures.

To get a clearer picture of the finances involved in farm management and how aspects of terroir can affect a plant's shape, size, and other characteristics, we interviewed a range of scientists, agronomists, and green coffee buyers.

This book explores how terroir determines a coffee's character and the success of a harvest. It offers an overview of the factors you can control and the steps you can take to support sustainable coffee growing and produce a flavorful cup.