ABSTRACT
Hundreds of nations and millions of people produce or consume coffee. But what it means to people varies greatly, and the meanings and values associated with coffee are not clearly related to how much is produced or consumed. In some places, coffee has become so integral to daily life that it has become part of national identity. National identity evolves in relationship to nation-building efforts. Creating the perception of shared identity is a critical challenge to facilitate the governance and control of large populations, especially because nation-states typically encompass disparate socioeconomic classes, multiple religions, and diverse ethnic groups. If ever a nation deserved fame for coffee, it would be Brazil. It became the world's largest coffee producer in the nineteenth century, and no country has yet to challenge its preeminence. Coffee production spread into Colombia from Venezuela and became an important economic activity by 1870.
