central to the growth of brazil's coffee was rio de janeiro, as the state and the city played a vital role in the growth of the industry, which brought much wealth and development along the way.

it was during the early years of the nineteenth century that coffee production began to take over economic activities within the state, replacing the vacuum left by the decline of demand for sugar cane - this was particularly apparent in the years following brazilian independence in 1822, as many resources were redirected from sugar production, to coffee production.

once heightened production began in rio de janeiro, then capital of brazil, it did not take long for coffee to become the most exported product of the country, and by 1840, brazil had become the largest coffee exporter in the world.