In Guyana’s lush countryside, coffee plants whisper stories of colonialism—once grown alongside bananas and cocoa, the crop now struggles to thrive. Smallholder challenges hold it back. Most coffee farms are tiny family plots relying on manual labor, unable to afford modern tools like mechanical harvesters due to mechanization barriers. Farms average just a few acres, making it hard to compete with larger operations globally.
In 2020, coffee output dropped to 360 tonnes, down 14% from 2019, as aging farmers face younger generations leaving for cities. Traditional methods, unchanged for decades, drag yields lower. Workers handpick beans under the sun, but uneven ripening and pests like coffee berry borer damage crops. Without advanced irrigation, farmers depend on rainfall, which has grown unpredictable with climate shifts. Rice and sugarcane fields nearby soak up water and land, backed by government-funded canals that rarely reach coffee zones.
Meanwhile, basic processing—drying beans on concrete slabs—often leaves mold or over-fermentation, weakening quality. Infrastructure gaps add pressure. Many rural coffee growers lack paved roads to transport harvests quickly. Warehouses and mills are scarce, forcing farmers to sell raw beans cheaply instead of roasting for higher profits.
Amy’s Pomeroon Coffee, certified in 2022 for its local sourcing, shows promise but remains an exception. Limited access to loans or training stalls innovation, while imported brands flood supermarkets. Young consumers often pick convenient, flashy foreign blends over local options. Starbucks’ 2023 arrival at Georgetown’s Amazonia Mall has intensified competition, attracting younger demographics drawn to global coffee culture. By 2025, out-of-home coffee sales are projected to surge to US$13.99 million, but local farmers capture barely 10% of this revenue as multinationals dominate cafes and restaurants.
The market itself is narrow. Guyana’s coffee consumption stays low, with exports struggling against Latin American giants like Brazil. Middlemen take cuts, leaving farmers with slim margins. Without modern machinery or disease-resistant seedlings, scaling up seems impossible.
Guyana’s coffee market remains small, dwarfed by Brazil’s exports. Middlemen slash profits while outdated methods and vulnerable crops hinder expansion.
Yet the stakes are high: revitalizing coffee could diversify an economy leaning heavily on rice and oil. For now, tradition keeps Guyana’s java legacy alive—but barely.
