<p>I found <a href="http://www.coffeeresearch.org/agriculture/environment.htm" rel="noreferrer">this website</a> which prescribes the following subtropic and equatorial growing conditions.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The subtropical regions, at high altitudes of 16-24° (Illy, 21). 
  Rainy and dry seasons must be well defined, and altitude must be
  between 1800-3600 feet.  These conditions result in one coffee growing
  season and one maturation season, usually in the coldest part of
  autumn.  Mexico, Jamaica, the S. Paulo and Minas Gerais regions in
  Brazil, and Zimbabwe are examples of areas with these climate
  conditions (Illy, 21).</p>
  
  <p>The equatorial regions at latitudes lower than 10° and altitudes of
  3600-6300 feet (Illy, 21).  Frequent rainfall causes almost continuous
  flowering, which results in two coffee harvesting seasons.  The period
  of highest rainfall determines the main harvesting period, while the
  period of least rainfall determines the second harvest season. Because
  rainfall is too frequent for patio drying to occur,  artificial drying
  with mechanical dryers is performed in this type of coffee growing
  environment. Examples of countries that have this climate are Kenya,
  Colombia, and Ethiopia (Illy, 21).</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-03T19:45:03.180Z
2015-02-03T19:45:03.180Z
Patrick Sebastien
<p>In addition to the factors mentioned above, it has been shown that the growth and yields of coffee plants depends on shading levels. This is also important regarding the biodiversity and pest rate present in the area. Generally, the more biodiversity and different kinds of shade trees, there will be less harmful pests and better chances of surviving extreme weather conditions (e.g. droughts or landslides). In the Americas, the coffee berry borer is currently the biggest problem, both from a biological and an economic perspective. Hence, it is not just the climate, but also the surrounding conditions that determine whether the coffee plants can grow. </p>

<p><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jen.12203/full" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This is a good paper on this topic</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-06T10:17:45.533Z
2016-11-06T12:15:15.580Z
2016-11-06T12:15:15.580Z
W.L.
<p>In the tropics I know that coffee requires some elevation, but increasingly coffee is being grown in the subtropics.  What are the necessary and sufficient conditions for growing coffee?</p>

<growing><farming>
What is the appropriate climate for a coffee plant?
Alex
# What is the appropriate climate for a coffee plant?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-02-03)

In the tropics I know that coffee requires some elevation, but increasingly coffee is being grown in the subtropics. What are the necessary and sufficient conditions for growing coffee?

**Tags:** growing, farming


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-02-03. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

I found [this website](http://www.coffeeresearch.org/agriculture/environment.htm) which prescribes the following subtropic and equatorial growing conditions.

> The subtropical regions, at high altitudes of 16-24° (Illy, 21).
> Rainy and dry seasons must be well defined, and altitude must be
> between 1800-3600 feet. These conditions result in one coffee growing
> season and one maturation season, usually in the coldest part of
> autumn. Mexico, Jamaica, the S. Paulo and Minas Gerais regions in
> Brazil, and Zimbabwe are examples of areas with these climate
> conditions (Illy, 21).
>
> The equatorial regions at latitudes lower than 10° and altitudes of
> 3600-6300 feet (Illy, 21). Frequent rainfall causes almost continuous
> flowering, which results in two coffee harvesting seasons. The period
> of highest rainfall determines the main harvesting period, while the
> period of least rainfall determines the second harvest season. Because
> rainfall is too frequent for patio drying to occur, artificial drying
> with mechanical dryers is performed in this type of coffee growing
> environment. Examples of countries that have this climate are Kenya,
> Colombia, and Ethiopia (Illy, 21).


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### Answer by username_2 on 2016-11-06. Score: 4

In addition to the factors mentioned above, it has been shown that the growth and yields of coffee plants depends on shading levels. This is also important regarding the biodiversity and pest rate present in the area. Generally, the more biodiversity and different kinds of shade trees, there will be less harmful pests and better chances of surviving extreme weather conditions (e.g. droughts or landslides). In the Americas, the coffee berry borer is currently the biggest problem, both from a biological and an economic perspective. Hence, it is not just the climate, but also the surrounding conditions that determine whether the coffee plants can grow.

[This is a good paper on this topic](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jen.12203/full).


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