Abstract:
Coffee was introduced into Sao Paulo some 150 years ago. Migrating southwards trough the Paraiba Valley, the main connecting link between Rio de Janeiro and the State’s Capital, it moved to Campinas and from there north and northwestwards to become the world’s most gigantic agricultural enterprise, based on a single, perennial, crop plant. Over 2 billion shrubs were planted, covering an area of about 6 million acres. Peak production was obtained in Sao Paulo in 1934, a total of 21 million bags of green coffee having then been harvested.