It was romance that brought coffee to brazil the story began in 1783 when the dutch gave french king louis xtv a coffee plant it is believed that 80% of today's coffee plants are descendants of that plant cutting were taken to france's tropical colonies, including french guiana in1827 brazilian diplomat francisco palheta went to french guiana to negotiate a treaty while he was there he developed a relationship with the wife of the french governor when they said goodbye she gave him a bouquet of flowers hidden among the blossoms were cutting from a coffee plant these cutting were the source of the huge brazilian coffee industry