Originally, coffee was grown in Ethiopia and Sudan, but it is now grown in around 70 countries around the world. Although not every country that produces coffee exports it.
Around 50 or so countries export their coffee globally. This is an updated list of the world’s top 10 coffee-producing countries as of 2021.
Countries that produced coffee
After oil, coffee is the world’s second most traded commodity. In fact, only oil is more traded than coffee.
The countries which produce coffee share something in common. They’re all located in the Tropics. The belt between the tropics of cancer and Capricorn is the one that’s running.
Although it may be hard to imagine where your cup of coffee came from when you purchase it from a local store or online, it is interesting to think about the different places coffee comes from. This text takes a look at the top coffee-producing countries in different parts of the world, such as South America, Asia, and Africa.
Coffee production is global
Coffee is grown in a specific area of the globe.
This region is called the coffee belt because it encircles the Earth near the equator. Coffee is a global crop, grown in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Countries that are successful in coffee production depend on the hard work of coffee growers. These growers need to be persistent in the face of challenges and careful when harvesting coffee cherries.
Growers depend on government agencies, co-ops, and non-profit organizations for infrastructure, support, and education.
1. Brazil
Brazil is well-known for producing coffee. Brazil began growing coffee in the north in the 18th century. There are approximately 300,000 coffee farmers in Brazil that produce approximately 40% of the world’s coffee. Impressive numbers, indeed.
The Brazilian Coffee Institute is responsible for regulating and coordinating the coffee industry in Brazil. About 1.8 million hectares of land in Brazil are used to grow coffee.
Brazil produces 70% of its coffee beans from Arabica plants. 3% of Brazil’s export revenues come from coffee beans.
Coffee is grown in Brazil in the following areas: Minas Gerais, Bahia, Rondônia, and Espírito Santo. Minas Gerais grows approximately 53% of the coffee trees, while Rondônia specializes in Robusta.
Brazilians are wild about drinking their coffee. THeir national drink is something they are proud of and they drink it all day Long. it is generally black and heavily sweetened.
2. Vietnam
The next country on the list has a completely different story. Coffee production in Vietnam is a relatively new phenomenon. It is surprising because Vietnam is not typically associated with coffee production. Vietnam. Vietnam is the second-largest producer of coffee in the world.
Coffee was introduced to Vietnam in the 1800s, although it wasn’t grown for export at that time. In the early 1990s, Vietnam began cultivating coffee to improve the economy.
This sector of employment has rapidly increased in the past decade and a half and now employs a close to 3 million people. These people are mostly small-scale farmers who work on 2-3 acre farms.
Robusta coffee is not as popular as other types of coffee, but Vietnam produces a lot of it. Only a small percentage of coffee beans grown in Vietnam are Arabica. Coffee beans grown in Vietnam are generally used for blends or instant coffee.
In Vietnam, people prefer tea to coffee even though coffee is a popular export crop. A few Vietnamese drinks have made headlines, though. Condensed milk coffee is a type of coffee that originates from Vietnam. It is made with condensed milk, coffee, and water.
They also have a famous Cappuccino that gets a dose of raw egg if you like it.
3. Colombia
Colombia has a long history of coffee. Unique traditions and lifestyles have blossomed around the industry. Coffee was first brought to Colombia in the early 1700s, and by the late 1800s it had become a very important crop.
In Colombia, approximately 2.3 million acres of land are used for coffee production. This refers to coffee exports from Colombia in the 1960s. At that time, coffee exports made up almost 90% of the country’s total exports. Coffee is still the most important agricultural export, although that figure is now much lower.
There are around 555,000 coffee growers in Colombia. Small coffee farms are more common. 95% of Colombian coffee plantations are owned by families.
Colombians typically start their morning with a tinto. The coffee is small and black, with sugar or panela added to sweeten it. panela is a raw sugar that is common in Colombia. They may add cinnamon or other spices to make it more interesting.
4. Indonesia
Coffee has been present in Indonesia since the 1600s. Plantations were established in Java, Indonesia, making it one of the first countries outside of Arabia and Africa to cultivate coffee crops and promote Arabica coffee production.
Indonesia is currently the fourth biggest coffee-producing country in the world, although its history has been filled with drama and tragedy.
The coffee rust disease was a big problem in the late 1800s. It killed a lot of the good coffee plants. Millions of people were suddenly left without an income.
To keep something similar from happening again, Indonesia replanted Robusta coffee, which is resistant to disease. Arabica beans make up about 25% of the Indonesian coffee bean market.
5. Uganda
As we travel to Africa, we find Uganda entering the charts at number ten.
Uganda is mainly known for its robusta coffee. For generations, people have cultivated coffee beans that come from deep within rain forests. Coffee trees that occur naturally are thought to be rare.
The principle Robusta coffee-growing areas are located in the Okoro and northern Lira regions in the west Nile area; the Mbale and Bugisu regions in the east; the Jinja, Mukono, Kampala, and Masaka regions in the center and southwest; and the Kasese and Mbarara regions in the west.
It is becoming known for its specialty Arabica coffee. Ugandan Robusta coffee beans are of a higher quality than most other types of coffee beans, and they usually have a vinegary acidity with rich chocolate flavors, making for a good cup of coffee.
6. Guatemala
Guatemala is number nine on the list of countries in Central America.
Coffee wasn’t considered a crop until the late 1850’s, after the collapse of the country’s dye industry. This was caused by the introduction of chemical dyes to Europe’s textile industry.
Coffee is Guatemala’s largest export and has been for many years.
The crop produced has a deserved reputation for quality. The coffee beans used are almost exclusively Arabica, with the main varieties being Caturra, Red and Yellow Catuai, and Red and Yellow Bourbon.
Guatemalan coffee beans grow best in areas with rich volcanic soil, low humidity, lots of sun, and cool nights. These conditions can be found in the regions of Antigua, Acatenango, Atitlán, Cobán, Huehuetenango, Faijanes, San Marcos & Nuevo Orientea.
At Farrer’s we particularly love Guatemala Coban. This coffee has a rich chocolate flavor with hazelnut and dark fruit notes.
7. India
India is ranked eighth in Asia. In the 1870s, India was greatly impacted by coffee rust. As a result, they replaced a lot of their coffee farms with tea plantations.
While Indian is typically thought of as a tea-producing country, coffee has actually been around since the 1600s during the reign of the Mughal empire. Tea didn’t arrive until the 1800s!
Traditionally, Brazil was known for Arabica coffee. However, since the turn of the century, the majority of their crop has been robusta, which makes up 60% of their total production.
Coffee is mainly grown in the southern Indian states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Most of India’s coffee production is exported to Europe, where it is often used in blended coffees.
A man named Baba Budan brought coffee back to India from the Middle East, planting the beans in Karnataka. The rest is history.
Our favorite coffees from India are Monsoon Malabar. The coffee beans are exposed to monsoon conditions, which is a unique processing method. This helps deliver an unrivalled depth and character!
8. Peru
Split into three main regions, coffee is grown across 10 specific areas in Peru. These regions are the north, central belt and south of the country.
The crop in question has been around for centuries, being cultivated in various parts of the United States since the 1700s. Due to the nation’s poor business infrastructure, coffee was often totally overlooked. Most of the coffee produced was consumed domestically.
In recent decades, farmers have had the opportunity to export their produce and sell it on the world market. More and more people are finding that these coffees are as good as, or even better than, coffees from other parts of the world.
The coffee grown in the lowlands of Peru tend to be medium bodied with nutty, floral, and fruity notes. The coffee grown in the highlands of Peru, specifically in the Andes, are floral, rich, and acidic and are just waiting to be discovered.
9. Ethiopia
Meanwhile, in Africa, Ethiopia is in 6th place, which is not surprising as coffee has a special place in Ethiopian culture as the country where it originated.
The discovery of Arabica coffee is a interesting story that will be saved for another time. This story involves a farmer and his dancing goats.
In Ethiopia, there are thousands of different types of beans, each with its own unique flavor. The best coffees are usually consumed locally and never exported.
The Ethiopian coffee industry is owned by the government and makes up 10% of the country’s GDP!
10. Honduras
Honduras is producing more coffee than ever before, surpassing Ethiopia by 3,795 metric tons.
Honduras has similar climate conditions to Costa Rica and Guatemala, but it was largely overlooked until relatively recently.
In the past, poor infrastructure made it difficult for them to sell their coffee outside the country, with only 10% of their crop being exported. In recent years, their coffees have become more and more popular.
Most Honduran coffees are grown on small mountain farms, known as ‘Fincas,’ at altitudes between 1,400 and 1,700 meters.
Most of these farms have their own micro-climate, allowing for a great variety of flavors and aromas, from hazelnut to vanilla with hints of red fruit.
11. Nicaragua
Coffee production in Nicaragua began in the mid-1800s and quickly became successful. In just 20 years, the crop became the largest export in the country. The next 100 years were productive ones for Nicaragua.
Although coffee production was negatively affected by political and social unrest, Now, 330,000 people are employed in some aspect of the industry, which is about 15% of the country’s labor force.
In Nicaragua, coffee Arabica is grown. Its taste can be both floral and delicate or bright and citrusy. Coffee is only grown in five regions in the north: Jinotega, Matagalpa, and Nueva Segovia.
Lately, people have been more interested in washed specialty coffees in order to appeal to foreign buyers. Pay attention to Nicaraguan coffee in the future, it will be excellent.
12. Mexico
In Mexico, coffee got a slow start. The crop arrived in the 1700s, but more attention was given to mineral exports. Coffee cultivation boomed in the 1970s-1990s.
Then coffee prices fell in the early 1990s and internal problems devastated coffee production.
Co-ops are organizations that stepped in to support growers and help sell coffee abroad. Around 500,000 people, most of them indigenous Mexicans, grow coffee on farms that are smaller than three hectares.
Mexican coffee is not as well known as other types of coffee, but it often has a delightful fruity profile and a lighter body. There are more than a dozen states that produce coffee, mostly in the southern part of the country.
Some of Mexico’s best coffees come from the Chiapas region, which is located near the border with Guatemala. These coffees tend to have rich, chocolatey flavors with hints of nuttiness. Fine coffees from Veracruz often have notes of berries. Growers in Oaxaca use traditional farming techniques that have remained largely unchanged in recent decades.
Although Mexico was also affected by the coffee leaf rust outbreak in 2011, it was not as badly affected as Central America. Production was halved. Now, 60% of the world’s coffee production is organic, with Mexico being the largest producer.
Coffee tips
‘Coffee’ first turned up as a word in the English language in 1598, all after a wee bit of tinkering with the Dutch word ‘koffie’, which in turn came from the Ottoman Turkish ‘kahve’, a word that comes from the Arabic ‘qahwa’, a term which refers to the brewing process, a shortened version of ‘qahhwat al-bun’, which means ‘wine of the bean’, referring to the accidental brewing process used by local monks in 6th century Kaffa, Ethiopia, where coffee beans were first discovered.