Located in southern China, the province of Yunnan has been likened in climate to Colombia and Indonesia.

Ample rains come from western and eastern river valleys, moist and warm air moves up from the lower elevations of the Bay of Bengal and Beibu Gulf, and the mountains to north protect the fragile coffee plants from temperatures that are too cold.

The History of Yunnan Coffee

The first coffee plant s cultivated in Yunnan province came from seeds brought by a French missionary in 1892 and grown near the city of Binchuan in the mountain valleys of Yunnan. Today more than thirty varietals that continue to thrive can be traced back to these early plants.

During the 1950s Yunnan was growing about 4,000 hectares of coffee but this decreased to around 270 hectares in the 1970s. Acreage returned to 1950s levels by 1988 due to a partnership with the Nestle Company, UNDP and the Yunnan Provincial Government. In 1997 about 7,800 acres of coffee were being cultivated in Yunnan.

Resources have also been devoted to ensuring that the coffee plant varietals and cultivation maintains a high standard and also to ensure that the coffee farmers are able to bring their products to an international market.

Yunnan Coffee - Starbucks Partners with Chinese Government

In November of 2010 Starbucks and the Chinese Government announced a partnership investing in the Yunnan coffee industry totaling about US$450 million with the goals of expanding specialty coffee acreage and increasing the total volume of the output. Starbucks also said it would be opening a Farmer Support Center.

Starbucks signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the People's Government of Pu'er City in Yunnan Province and the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Science.

Coffee Production in Yunnan

Yunnan mainly plants Arabica coffee. The official data of the volume of green beans produced by Yunnan is about 120,000 tons every year.

Efforts are being made to improve soil quality to create more coffee plantations, improved coffee farmer training and research centers. Promising coffee enterprises will also be given subsidies. Currently more than 95% of China's coffee comes from Yunnan.