“We shouldn’t think that this will be the future of farming in the Azores, that is not the question, but it is yet another activity in the region to diversity production including bananas and other tropical fruits”, regional agriculture and forestry secretary, João Ponte.

Portuguese company Delta Cafés recently announced it was willing to support up to 500 coffee producers in the Azores over the next 15 years, which also contributed towards an increased interest in this production.

There is not yet enough production to bring the product to market, but some lots have been roasted to experiment and Europe’s only coffee has proven itself to be quite different.

Everyone who has tried the coffee likes it as it has a very strong, very pleasant aroma, very fruity, but little caffeine, Ponte said.