INDIA
The origins of coffee production in southern India are entwined with myth. The story goes that a pilgrim named Baba Budan passed through Yemen in 1670 while returning from Mecca and smuggled out seven coffee seeds, the export of which was strictly controlled.
Because he took seven, a sacrosanct number in Islam, it was considered a religious act.
Coffee was brought to Vietnam by the French in 1857, and was initially
cultivated under the plantation model. However, this did not gain any
momentum as a commercial venture until around 1910. Cultivation
in the Buôn Ma Thuột region, in the Central Highland, was interrupted
by the Vietnam war. After the war the coffee industry became
increasingly collectivized, reducing yields and production. At this point
around 20,000 hectares of land produced around 5,000–7,000 tonnes
(5,500–7,700 tons) of coffee. Over the next 25 years, the amount of land
under coffee would increase by a factor of 25 and the country’s overall
production by a factor of 100.
