Benin Coffee Beans

All About the Coffees of Benin!

Coffee is one of the principal food crops of the country of Benin along with cassava, yams, maize, sorghum, beans and millet. Grown mainly in the southern region are cotton, palm kernels, cocoa and groundnuts as well as coffee.

The northern region of Benin is primarily used for herding sheep and cattle as well as goats.

About eighty percent of Benin's export revenues come from cotton, which is also the main cash crop that is suitable for small farmers. Ninety percent of pesticide use in the country is on cotton and this has caused significant degradation of Benin's fertile soils.

Benin is one of Africa's poorest countries and most of the work force is involved in subsistence agriculture including maize, yams and beans. In recent years the country has seen an increasing tourism industry, which may lead to more small Benin coffee plots to provide local coffee beans to visitors. As a new democracy, Benin is stabilizing after a series of military coups and still has many difficulties with infrastructure.

Benin Demographics

The population of Benin is nearly eight million people and most live in the southern region of the country. The climate of Benin is tropical with two dry seasons and two rainy seasons. The predominating hot and humid weather includes an April to late July rainy season and another less intense rainy season from the end of September to November.

The primary dry season is from December until April. A shorter cool and dry season that starts in late July and continues until early September.

Niger borders Benin on the north, Nigeria is on the east, Togo is on the west and Burkina Faso borders Benin on the northwest. To the south is the Gulf of Guinea. The distance from the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Benin to the Niger River on the north is 700 kilometers.

Also see: World's Best Coffee

Benin's southern region includes the plateaux area which reaches up to 200 meters and is divided by north-to-south valleys on the rivers called Oueme, Zou and Couffo. On the northwestern border of Benin is a mountain range called Atacora which reaches a height of 658 meters and extends into Togo.

Exploring the World of Benin Coffee

The climate of Benin, which is located in the inter-tropical zone, alternates between the dry season with the high thermal amplitude harmattan winds from the Sahara and the monsoon season with winds coming from the ocean providing a wet and cool season.

As tourism continues to increase in Benin it is possible small coffee farms may also increase in part to provide local grown Benin coffee to visitors.

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