The Coffee Tree—Genetic Diversity and Origin

Abstract Today coffee remains one of the most important trade products for many tropical countries, accounting for an important part of their agricultural exports. Nowadays, only two Coffea species are used on large scale as commercial products: Coffea arabica, also known as “Arabica,” and Coffea canephora, which produces the “Robusta” coffee. Overall, this chapter intends to provide information related to some biological and botanical aspects of these two coffee species. Information is also given on the geographical origins in Africa about the most important species of the genus Coffea and for some of their natural dissemination from the respective center of origin. The most important varieties developed so far are listed and described for their agronomic characteristics and potential sensory quality. The chapter concludes with a discussion on key information about the genetics of the quality and the development of new technologies that could certainly impact the future of coffee business in terms of improved varieties having unique sensory qualities.