Nicaragua El Palacio (2017 Crop)

Coffee came to Nicaragua in the mid-1800's but did not have to compete with well established crops like indigo or banana. It took coffee just 20 years to become the country's number one export and by the dawn of the 20th century, coffee represented 65% of Nicaragua's exports. Between 1895 and 1926, production of coffee in the Jinotega region alone tripled, from 4,500 bags to 13,500. The rapid growth of the industry did not coincide with as much deforestation as other countries in the region and today virtually all Nicaraguan coffee is considered shade grown.