The coffee plant was brought to Brazil in the 1700s. Initially, coffee was exclusively grown for domestic consumption. Coffee demand began to rise in America and Europe during the nineteenth century. By the 1820s, the states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Minas Gerais had begun to increase their coffee plantations. Brazilian coffee's popularity soared, particularly in the United States and Europe. By the 1840s, Brazil had become the world's largest coffee exporter.