Biggest Coffee Producing Countries

After water and tea, coffee is the third most widely consumed beverage worldwide. We consume approximately 10 million tons of roasted coffee beans and more than 400 billion cups yearly! People mostly enjoy the beverage hot, although iced coffee is increasingly popular in the summer. However, there is a high possibility that you do not know where the coffee grows: unfortunately, like many plants, it does not grow well or sustainably in all parts of the world. The Arabica variety, which comprises about 70 percent of the world's coffee supply, thrives at high altitudes in rich soils. The heartier Robusta, on the other hand, grows best at higher temperatures and thrives on the lower ground.

Which Countries grow coffee?

Coffee beans come from an evergreen shrub growing in about 70 countries worldwide. The ideal conditions for coffee trees are along the Equatorial zone called 'The Coffee Belt' or 'The Bean Belt.' It is a strip of land between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, 23.5 degrees north and south of the equator. The climate is typically tropical, similar to that of the coffee origin in Ethiopia, and characterized by rich soils, cool to warm temperatures, and an alternating wet and dry season. Notably, many of the coffee-belt countries are also part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, whose volcanic activity contributes to the richness of the soil in which coffee plants flourish.

The coffee belt is approximately 3200 miles (5100 km) and passes through 70 countries on five continents; Africa, Asia, North America, South America, and Oceania. However, only 44 of these countries produce coffee in significant amounts, and Oceania has little coffee compared to the other four continents. Notably, many of these countries. A list of 78 coffee-producing countries and quantities is at the bottom of this article.

Ten biggest coffee-producing countries

The most consumed coffee types are Arabica and Robusta. We have highlighted the countries that make coffee from the highest to the lowest.

1. Brazil

Brazil has remained one of the highest coffee producers in the world for over 150 years. In 2020, it produced 2,598,000 metric tons making the coffee trade one of the country's most prolific industries.

Due to the favorable climatic conditions, most coffee is in the country's southeastern parts, with São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Parana as the top three growing cities. Brazil's coffee farms cover approximately 27000 sq. km and account for 40 percent of the global coffee supply. 

Dry or natural processing is the most widely used method of coffee production, meaning that water is not used to clean the coffee like in a technique known as wet processing. Instead, the coffee cherries are left to air dry using the sun's natural heat.

2. Vietnam

If you have had the experience of Vietnamese coffee, you probably know what Vietnam can offer! It is famous for its strong coffee brews with high caffeine content and acidity. That is because the coffee is almost always Robusta and a darker roast. The traditional Vietnamese brewing method with a Phin also uses a lot of coffee grounds for the water amount and a more extended brewing time, making the coffee stronger.

The French introduced coffee to Vietnam in the 19th century, and after the Vietnam War, the government instituted a large-scale coffee production program. Production took off by the 1990s, and today, Vietnam has earned itself the second-biggest producer spot in the world, accounting for more than 1.73 million tons of coffee annually. The country primarily cultivates the Robusta coffee variety, accounting for more than 96 percent of the total production. In addition, traders commonly use Vietnamese coffee for blending.

3. Columbia

Colombia was the second coffee producer globally after Brazil until Vietnam's recent entry into the market. The drop in yields is mainly attributed to the changes experienced in temperatures and rainfall unfavorable to coffee. The change has occurred since 2011, with the temperatures drastically rising.

In 2020, Columbia produced only 810,000 metric tons, which was relatively low compared to its competitors. In addition, the growth of standard coffee flavors has also greatly affected the quality of coffee the country has been growing. However, in the international league of coffee production, it is still a key player in the market. Traditionally, Colombia processes most of its coffees using the fully washed method, but ecological systems that use less water are becoming common.

4. Indonesia

Indonesia is not at the top and has never emerged at the top, but it is one of the most famous coffee producers in the world. Some of the rarest coffees in the Western world originate in Indonesia, including but certainly not limited to the exclusive and most expensive coffee, Kopi Luwak! In 2016, the country managed 660000 metric tons and 770,000 tons in 2020, taking the fourth position globally. 

Indonesia is composed of thousands of Islands. Indonesia's strategic location close to the equator and geographical features creates favorable conditions for the beverage plant. Thousands of islands and mountains comprise the country's landscape, and several larger ones -Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi, are well known for their fine coffees. Today, more than 90% of Indonesia's coffee is grown by smallholders on farms averaging around one hectare. The coffees have a pronounced rich, full body and mild acidity and are mostly dry processed. Currently, coffee amounts to 85% of all the exports Indonesia makes.  

Indonesia is also known for its fine-aged coffees, which resulted when farmers who wanted to sell them at higher prices held them for some time. Warehousing gently ages the coffee in Indonesia's warm, damp climate yielding a coffee prized for an even deeper body and less acidity. It is a process that even today's technology cannot match!

5. Ethiopia

Coffee is native to Ethiopia, and the high-quality coffees and multiple varieties have made the country globally renowned. So, it may not be surprising that Ethiopia has been in coffee production for more than 1100 years. Production has steadily grown over the last three years and is forecast to reach 457,200 metric tons in 2021/22 under suitable growing conditions. Last year, Ethiopia produced 440000 metric tons coming fifth.

More than 16 million Ethiopians work in the coffee fields, constituting 28% of exports annually. The cultivation type can be categorized into the plantation, garden, forest, and semi-forest coffee. The total area of Arabica plants and other varieties is approximately 400,000 hectares. Coffee variants produced in Ethiopia vary in geographic location, and Sidamo, Harar, Limu, and Yirgacheffe beans are among the most widely consumed worldwide. The trademarked coffee brands are entirely under the control of the government.

Since Ethiopia is the origin of coffee, the beverage has been an essential part of everyday life and culture long before it became commercialized. Thus, about 50-55% of the coffee is domestically consumed. The coffee was traditionally dry processed, but wet processing is increasingly becoming common. 

6. India

India's coffee industry is diverse and vibrant. The country grows some of the finest Robusta coffee, representing about 3.5 percent of global production. The favorable topography and climatic conditions have enabled the growth of coffee beans in the country's Southern and Northeast regions.

Coffee is grown on a large and small scale in India, with an acreage of about 350,000 hectares. The primary growing regions are located in the Southern states; Karnataka accounts for 71%, followed by Kerala, with 21 percent, and Tamil Nadu, which yields 5 percent. About 98 percent of the 250,000 coffee growers are smallholders.

Most coffee is shade-grown, with other crops such as cinnamon and cardamon. As a result, India's top-grade Robusta yields a clean and smooth flavor with no rubbery aftertaste typical of different Robusta coffees. Second only to tea, this crop is the most sought-after commodity in India, and the export of both items accounts for more than 80 percent.

7. Honduras

Honduras is a prolific coffee producer and the largest in Central America. Its coffee is grown at high altitudes, with 61 percent of the farms located between 3900 and 5200 feet above sea level. The country has a significant grower population involving more than 100,000 families, 95 percent of which are smallholders. Most of the coffee variety is Arabica accounting for 91 percent, and Robusta, the remaining 9 percent. 

Historically, Honduras did not export the coffee due to a lack of adequate transport and shipping alternatives; thus, they domestically consumed about 90 percent of the coffee. The flavor profiles are typically mild, robust, and sweet but this varies depending on the region's unique climate and elevation. The weather is generally more temperate in the mountains and tropical in the lowlands. Honduras contributes 3.9 percent of global production.

8. Uganda

Uganda is the second largest coffee producer in Africa after Ethiopia. It is also the fourth largest Robusta-producing country! Uganda has 1.7 million coffee-growing households, 85 percent of which are smallholders annually, making 0.6 tons per hectare on average. Coffee accounts for 20-30 percent of the country's foreign exchange earnings annually, and more than 3.5 million families work in coffee-related activities.

Uganda's coffee industry was fully liberalized from total state control between 1991 and 1992 and is entirely in private hands, and production has since increased. However, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) remains under export quality control that grades liquors and classifies all export shipments. In 2016 the country bragged about having produced over 288,000 metric tons, a significant improvement. However, the export in 1989 notably still crossed 2.5 million coffee bags.

9. Mexico

Coffee is one of Mexico's most lucrative exports, and nearly half a million small farmers and their families are economically dependent on the crop. Most farms are in the south-central and southern regions of the country - Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas.

Besides being the top producer in North America, another little-known fact is that Mexico is one of the world's largest exporters of organic-certified coffee. Up to 8% of producers grow organic coffee, especially in the southernmost states of Chiapas and Oaxaca. Unfortunately, these two states are also the poorest in the country and, coincidentally, have the largest indigenous populations.

The coffee is mainly Arabica which grows particularly well in the coastal region of Soconusco and Chiapas near the border of Guatemala. The coffee is of excellent quality and in 2016 was 234,000 metric tons, but production most recently dropped to 153,794 metric tons.

10. Guatemala

Guatemala held the ninth position for a long time before letting Mexico. It was also central America's top producer for most of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century until Honduras overtook it in 2011. So often, you will see Guatemala as a tiny country with a vast coffee industry base on the world map.

Coffee was introduced in the 1700s and has helped fuel Guatemala's economy for over a hundred years. Today, an estimated 125,000 coffee producers drive Guatemala's coffee industry on around 270,000 hectares, almost all of which (98%) are shade-grown. The country's production is almost exclusively Arabica, mainly processed using the washed method, though natural and semi-washed ways are gaining popularity.

Coffee remains one of Guatemala's top export products, accounting for 40% of agricultural export revenue.

Combined, Guatemalan coffee farms make up 2.7% of the world coffee market. Diverse regions throughout this small country contain varied soil, rainfall, humidity, altitude, and temperature resulting in seven distinct types of Arabica coffee.

What makes these countries get the highest export shares in the markets

Mainly, coffee grows inside the earth's equatorial zone, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. This fact is seemingly due to environmental conditions and not to geographical constraints. The most important conditions necessary for a coffee tree to grow are the presence of a temperate or tropical climate where there is no frost, ample sunshine, and plenty of water. In addition, the combination of altitude and temperatures influences the type of coffee the crops will yield and its consumer demand. Thus, most of these countries have favorable conditions that make the production of coffee stand out. 

For instance, there are two conditions optimal for growing Arabica coffee;

First, in the equatorial regions at 3600-6300 feet and at latitudes lower than 10°, frequent rainfall causes almost continuous flowering, resulting in two harvesting seasons. The highest rainfall period determines the main harvesting period. Artificial drying with mechanical dryers is performed in this coffee-growing environment because rainfall is too frequent for patio drying. Kenya, Columbia, and Ethiopia are examples of countries experiencing this climate.

Secondly, the rainy and dry seasons must be well defined, and the altitude must be between 1800-3600 feet in the subtropical regions. These conditions result in one coffee growing season and one maturation season, usually in the coldest part of autumn. Countries such as Mexico, Jamaica, the S. Paulo and Minas Gerais regions in Brazil, and Zimbabwe have these climate conditions. On the other hand, Robusta coffee is grown at much lower altitudes (sea level-3000 feet) in areas 10° North and South of the equator. That is because it is much more tolerant to warm conditions than Arabica coffee.

Apart from having favorable climatic conditions, the countries have also invested in production technologies, which make their winnings stand out. Employment of various methods and technologies makes the quality of coffee these countries produce healthier and more extensive, hence having a proper market supply.

List of countries which grow coffee  

	Country	Quantity (metric tons)
1.	Brazil	2,680,515
2.	Vietnam	1,542,398
3.	Columbia	754,376
4.	Indonesia	668,677
5.	Honduras	475,042
6.	Ethiopia	471,247
7.	Peru	346,466
8.	India	312,000
9.	Guatemala	245,441
10.	Uganda	209,325
11.	Mexico	153,794
12.	Laos	150,795
13.	Nicaragua	128,111
14.	China	115,150
15.	Ivory Coast	103,514
16.	Costa Rica	90,390
17.	Philippines	62,078
18.	Papua New Guinea	58,840
19.	Tanzania	55,789
20.	Madagascar	47,387
21.	Venezuela	46,650
22.	Kenya	40,800
23.	Haiti	39,537
24.	El Salvador	35,720
25.	Sierra Leone	35,720
26.	Thailand	34,312
27.	Cameroon	30,984
28.	Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)	29,912
29.	Bolivia	21,181
30.	Yemen	19,514
31.	Togo	18,476
32.	Rwanda	17,824
33.	Guinea	17,813
34.	Angola	15,436
35.	Dominican Republic	15,241
36.	Burundi	14,000
37.	Timor - Leste	10,827
38.	Central African Republic	9,355
39.	Myanmar	8,546
40.	Malawi	8,420
41.	Malaysia	8,109
42.	Ecuador	7,564
43.	Zambia	6,880
44.	Cuba	6,306
45.	Jamaica	6,222
46.	Panama	5,730
47.	Sri Lanka	5,437
48.	Equatorial Guinea	4,272
49.	Puerto Rico	3,868
50.	Republic of the Congo	3,197
51.	United States	2,200
52.	Nigeria	1,556
53.	Mozambique	793
54.	Ghana	727
55.	Zimbabwe	608
56.	Liberia	594
57.	Nepal	466
58.	Paraguay	442
59.	Guyana	401
60.	Cambodia	365
61.	Dominica	287
62.	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	184
63.	Comoros	140
64.	Gabon	94
65.	Belize	80
66.	Benin	50
67.	Cape Verde	47
68.	Trinidad and Tobago	39
69.	Guadeloupe	31
70.	Martinique	28
71.	Vanuatu	26
72.	French Polynesia	22
73.	Tonga	16
74.	Samoa	12
75.	Sao Tome and Principe	12
76.	Fiji	9
77.	Suriname	6
78.	New Caledonia	5

 

Conclusion

Knowing what kind of coffee you take and where it comes from is now possible. So, the next time you buy coffee, check on the packaging to see the country of origin. The quality and flavors from the various countries remain outstanding and worth trying out.