Agritourism
Agritourism is a form of tourism where people visit farms, historic plantations, food festivals, or other agricultural sites to experience rural life, culture, and local cuisine. This blend of agriculture and tourism aims to encourage sustainable practices, support local farmers, and boost the economy of rural areas. Some examples of agritourism include farm tours, harvest festivals, and workshops on traditional cooking.
Agritourism is most popular in parts of Europe, Asia, and Latin America. This mix of destinations is thanks to the variation of opportunities open to travelers with an eagerness for finding out where foods and drinks come from. Taiwan, Tuscany, and Brazil all feature in the top 5 places to visit across the world!
Brazil is the world’s biggest coffee producing country, and its no surprise to see coffee lovers heading to Brazil to learn more about where coffee comes from, and to sample it at the source. Brazil has vast amounts of land that are perfect growing conditions for many agricultural products, not just coffee. These conditions are in place thanks to the country’s close proximity to the equator, where conditions are usually warm and with the perfect amount of rainfall to sustain growth.
Coffee drinkers can stay on coffee farms, work with the farmers themselves, be fed amazing local meals, and try the coffees that are produced on site. Brazil’s main coffee growing region, Minas Gerais, also has stunning surroundings that can be enjoyed when the plantation work has been taken care of.
What Impacts Do These Trips Have?
They’re almost entirely positive ones – Coffee farmers are not always in the position of enjoying huge wealth, even when exporting large amounts of coffee across the world. Tourism can be a much-needed injection of cash that keeps them going year round. Tourists who bring their money to these areas can be the difference between farmers having the capital to embrace new technologies and grow coffee in even better conditions. An example of this might be having access to the more-expensive natural pesticides, allowing their produce to be labelled “organic coffee”.
Agritourists get a whole new appreciation for the coffee being created. They purchase coffee when they are staying on the farms and share it with family and friends on their return as souvenirs! A Rwandan coffee farmer opened up a hiking trail called the ‘coffee experience tour’ that winds through the Huye Mountain Coffee plantation and the significant historical site of Nyirankoko hill, which overlooks the plantation. Have you ever wondered where the coffee served at Ban Café or other coffee shops originates? Or what motivates someone to visit a coffee or tea farm, or a cattle ranch? These questions are answered during the hike. By the time participants finish their descent, they will be prepared to roast and brew their first cup of coffee. The hike takes visitors through every step of coffee production, from planting to roasting and brewing. This ‘coffee tour experience’ trail stands out by combining agriculture and tourism into a single offering.
Coffee roasters themselves often make the trip out to major coffee growing countries such as Brazil. These trips help farmers to connect with the forward supply chain and to gain insights on the pressures and successes that are felt in coffee drinking nations such as the U.K.