First assessment of agronomical performance of <i>Coffea arabica</i> in the southern US conditions

Abstract Coffee ( Coffea L.) is a globally important crop, central to both agricultural economies and daily consumption patterns. Despite the importance, the recent decades revealed a concerning trend: coffee has become expensive and less consistently available, affecting both exporting countries and major importers. The United States exemplifies well this dynamic. As the world's largest consumer, the country relies heavily on stable international supply chains to support the internal market. Given this, ensuring the long‐term resilience of the coffee supply chain has become a priority for the US market, requiring innovative strategies. This study presents an initial assessment of the viability of cultivating Coffea arabica in the southern United States, with a focus on local production in South Florida. Our hypothesis is that coffee could serve as an alternative specialty crop under subtropical conditions when supported by appropriate management practices. The contributions of this study are threefold. First, we evaluated the yield potential of four main C. arabica cultivars and provided a preliminary assessment of the yield and quality of coffee produced in Florida. Second, we developed a preliminary economic model to examine coffee as a potential alternative crop, integrating agronomic performance, production costs, and revenue projections. Third, we outline the current goals, limitations, and challenges associated with establishing coffee production in Florida, including climatic constraints, market segmentation, soil characteristics, and management considerations. Collectively, these findings offer the first insights into the opportunities and challenges of domestic coffee production, providing a framework for supporting coffee as a sustainable crop for subtropical regions of the United States.