In the 1860s, Sri Lanka was among the world’s leading coffee producers, ranking beside Brazil and Indonesia.Â
The central highlands, particularly Kandy, Matale, and Nuwara Eliya, were covered with flourishing coffee estates that defined the island’s economy and culture.
By 1870, coffee accounted for nearly 70% of Sri Lanka’s exports. However, in the late 19th century, a devastating fungal disease known as coffee leaf rust swept through the plantations. Within two decades, it wiped out nearly the entire crop.
Planters turned to tea to survive, giving rise to the Ceylon Tea industry that would later make the island famous. Yet beneath the same highland soil, coffee trees slowly began to return. Today, a new generation of growers is restoring that lost legacy with care, craft, and pride.