At nearly 3,000 ft above sea level, Koraput sits amid the rolling hills of Odisha. Along with being the most tribal-dominated area of the state and home to a striking landscape, Koraput’s cool climate has made the region popular for another reason: its coffee. In his latest address in Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the region’s coffee as the “pride of Odisha.” Grown under the shade of forest canopies, Koraput’s coffee has evolved from an experimental plantation into a crop with the potential to reshape livelihoods.
The plantation dates back nearly a century. In 1930, the erstwhile royals of Jeypore established an experimental plantation in Koraput’s neighbouring Bichalkota village. Twenty-eight years later, that agricultural experiment was acquired by the Directorate of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development as part of efforts to check siltation at the Machhkund hydroelectricity project site. Using the existing forest canopy, the directorate gradually expanded the plantations, a process that was far from rapid. Fund constraints and policy bottlenecks limited the pace at which coffee could spread across the district.
According to the latest data, currently, around 4,400 hectares of land in Koraput is under coffee cultivation, while the district has an estimated potential area of 1,45,170 hectares for the crop. Known for its 100 per cent Arabica, shade-grown beans, Koraput coffee is becoming one of the most important sources of economic empowerment and livelihoods for the tribal communities living in and around the region.
What Makes Koraput Well-Suited For Coffee Cultivation?
It is Koraput’s high elevation and cool climate that create the right environment for coffee berries to grow and thrive. Mild temperatures keep the berries from ripening quickly. The region also receives abundant rainfall, which supports steady plant growth. A landscape with dense forests is well-suited, as coffee can grow beneath a canopy of taller trees, and there is no need to clear the forests.
Since Koraput is best known for its Arabica coffee, the red lateritic soil, which is slightly acidic and rich in organic matter, matches the coffee's natural preferences.
This relationship between coffee and the forest landscape is central to Koraput’s story. The coffee plantations are thus not simply agricultural fields carved out of the terrain or destroyed; they are part of the broader ecosystem.
How Is Coffee Cultivation Helping Koraput And Its Tribes?
For the Paraja and Kondh communities of Koraput (two of the most prominent tribes from the hills), coffee is much more than an agricultural crop. Nearly half of the district’s coffee plantations are managed by members of these tribal communities, creating employment and income opportunities across various stages of the coffee value chain.
Unlike seasonal agricultural work, coffee cultivation requires attention year-round. From managing nurseries to maintaining plantations and harvesting ripe cherries, coffee creates a more sustained source of employment for communities.
Women have been particularly important in the region’s journey to becoming one of the country’s most important coffee-cultivation regions. They are involved in every stage that converts a seed into a coffee bean.
Coffee also offers Koraput an opportunity to retain more of the value generated by its produce. This happens in cases when beans are processed, roasted, and marketed closer to where they are grown. This allows communities to participate in more stages of the journey from farm to cup rather than simply supplying raw produce.
However, expanding cultivation alone cannot guarantee better livelihoods. Access to technical knowledge, processing infrastructure, markets, finance, and fair returns will remain crucial to ensuring that the benefits of coffee are received by the communities that are cultivating it.
The crop could also contribute to a new form of tourism in Koraput. Surrounded by the Eastern Ghats, forests, streams, and a rich tribal cultural landscape, the district already has the ingredients of a destination. Coffee plantations can add another dimension, allowing visitors to experience cultivation, meet farmers and understand how cherries are processed and roasted.
If developed responsibly, coffee tourism can bring visitors and additional income into local communities while connecting agriculture with the region's natural and cultural heritage.
Koraput’s coffee story, therefore, extends well beyond the cup. What began as an experiment nearly a century ago is becoming a source of employment, women's economic participation and greater local value creation. For its tribal communities, coffee is gradually becoming a pathway towards more diverse and sustainable livelihoods, rooted in the land they have long called home.
