Ecuador

A small, declining origin split between lowland robusta, Andean arabica, and a tiny Galápagos crop.

Ecuador is a minor coffee producer growing both arabica and robusta, with reported output varying widely by source and year (roughly 150,000 to 930,000 60 kg bags). The sector has declined for decades and now supplies only about half of domestic consumption. Arabica is grown above about 800 m and robusta at roughly 200-600 m. Loja province in the south is the main quality arabica area and is estimated to supply about a fifth of national arabica, while Manabí, where coffee first arrived in 1860, is a large low-elevation producer. Ecuador is also the likely birthplace of Sidra and Typica Mejorado, traced to a Nestlé breeding facility in Pichincha (Sidra in the 1990s) and spread by Olger Rogel, though their genetic origins remain uncertain. Coffee also grows in tiny volumes in the Galápagos Islands.

History

Coffee arrived in Ecuador in 1860, initially in the Jipijapa zone of Manabí, and exports grew through the 20th century, reaching about 1.8 million bags in 1985 before declining. The exporters' association ANECAFÉ was founded in 1983 and launched the Taza Dorada quality competition in 2007, adding a Robusta edition in 2016. Production has since fallen sharply even as a specialty wave, including Sidra and Typica Mejorado, has raised Ecuador's profile.