Argentina, a country globally known for its wine industry, is quietly returning to coffee cultivation. New experiments in recent years suggest that this South American nation may gradually reappear on the regional coffee production map.
Emerging Coffee-Growing Regions
Argentina is currently testing Arabica coffee cultivation in at least five provinces. The two provinces with the most notable planted areas are Salta, with about 35 hectares, and Tucumán, with 23 hectares, totaling roughly 58 hectares.
In addition, experimental projects are underway in Misiones, Corrientes, and Jujuy. Early-stage trials are also being conducted in Catamarca, La Rioja, Córdoba, and Entre Ríos.
In Tucumán, the local government launched an agricultural diversification program last September targeting around 30 nurseries and producers. The program encourages the planting of two premium Arabica varieties: Bourbon and Gesha.
Meanwhile, in Misiones, pilot projects are testing coffee cultivation under agroforestry systems, where Arabica coffee is grown beneath forest canopy to better adapt to local environmental conditions.
Coffee Has Historical Roots in Argentina
Coffee is not entirely new to Argentina. Historical records indicate that coffee was cultivated in Tucumán as early as the 1880s.
In the 1970s, a government program encouraged coffee planting within agroforestry systems in Salta, Jujuy, and Misiones. However, by the 1990s, most Argentine coffee plantations had been abandoned.
Climate Change Creating New Opportunities
Today, climate change is reshaping agricultural landscapes, making it possible to test coffee cultivation in small subtropical areas of Argentina.
According to 2023 data, Argentina spent about $109 million importing coffee from Brazil. As a result, developing domestic production is seen as an opportunity to generate rural employment and reduce reliance on imports in the long term.
Currently, the only coffee that is both grown and commercially sold in the country is Baritú, produced in the Yungas rainforest region of Orán, in northern Salta. The coffee is currently sold in two local cafés.
Ambitious Plans for Expansion
Although Argentina’s coffee industry is still in an early stage—with limited production and uncertain harvest stability—the expansion plans are ambitious. Authorities project that within a few years coffee cultivation could reach 8,000 hectares in Tucumán and surrounding areas.
However, several challenges remain. These include selecting genetic varieties adapted to the new terroir, improving post-harvest processing techniques, and building a value chain focused on specialty coffee.
If successful, Argentina could emerge as a new player in the South American coffee industry in the coming decades.
