The most comprehensive encyclopedia of knowledge on major coffee producing countries, recommended for collection!

By Tristan Stephenson

Introduction: Specialty Coffee Guide!

Two facts:

① Most of the world's coffee producing countries are developing countries, and coffee farmers do not have an easy life;

② Coffee lovers tend to feel happy because they can drink the best coffee from all over the world without leaving home;

Coffee producing countries

Over a third of the world's countries produce coffee, most of which are located within the zodiac zone of Cancer and Capricorn (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn). Each country produces different types of coffee, and some regions have their own unique characteristics. Some countries have one or two harvests a year, while others have a very long harvest, which means they can harvest coffee for most of the year. Here is a brief overview of the top 40 coffee producing countries (some countries do not meet the commercial standards described below, so they are not marked on the map, but they should be given honorable mentions).

Major coffee producing countries in Africa

Burundi

Burundi is an increasingly prominent player in the specialty coffee arena. It’s easy to forget that most Burundians live in poverty: In 2013, the country ranked second on the Global Hunger Index. Burundi is one of Africa’s smallest countries, and coffee is grown throughout the country. The focus of the business is on about 150 centralized washing stations, many of which are owned by the government (this is beginning to change), which process coffee from hundreds of small family farms. This operation, which has little traceability, has once raised concerns, but authorities are now taking steps to improve the flow of information from farmers to roasters. Potato deficiency, a bacterial disease imported from neighboring Rwanda, once wreaked havoc on Burundi’s coffee industry, but now appears to be under control. Burundi and Rwanda’s coffees have similar flavor profiles.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is the home of coffee in the hearts of countless people, and today it may be the most exciting coffee producer in the world. The many natural varieties of the Tepika variety present people with a rich and colorful coffee experience. From floral and peach aromas to the intoxicating flavors of sweet lemon, chocolate, Assam black tea and wild berries, the country's coffee flavors are extremely diverse. The coffees in the Harar region (especially the natural method) are quite worthy of attention, and the washed coffees in the Yirgacheffe region in the south are even more unique.

Kenya

Tea is Kenya's main export, accounting for 21% of the country's total export revenue, almost four times the value of coffee exports. Although Kenyan coffee production is not high, the quality is unquestionable. It gave me my first understanding of the connotation of coffee - of course, with the help of other coffees - and it still amazes me to this day. Kenyan coffee berries are red and black, plump and juicy, and are famous for their acidic characteristics. Kenyan coffee is mostly grown in large coffee plantations or small farms in the central and western regions. Hybrid varieties of Depikal such as SL-28, SL-34 and K7 are becoming the mainstream with the washing method.

Malawi

Malawi grows a wide variety of coffees, including the famous Gesha and Catimu, two varieties that rank at the top and bottom of the coffee quality chart. Malawi is one of the smallest coffee producers in the world, and the uneven quality of its coffees shows that the country is completely in the early stages of coffee production. Given the diversity of growing regions and varieties, we have reason to expect to see excellent quality Malawi coffee in the future.

Rwanda

Rwanda has struggled in recent years, with the 1994 genocide killing nearly a tenth of the country’s population. Coffee has played a major role in Rwanda’s recovery, with the emergence of Bourbon and Mibirèze (a Rwandan mutation of Bourbon) providing a real eye-opener. The finest Rwandan coffees are ripe and full-flavored, but beware of the infamous “potato deficiency,” a bacterial disease that is the enemy of coffee cherries.

Tanzania

Tanzania borders all of Africa’s major coffee-producing countries, except Ethiopia, so it’s no surprise that the country’s terroir and climate are also perfect for coffee production. Robusta coffee is widely grown in the northwestern part of Tanzania near Lake Victoria, and coffee plantations are built on the volcanic highlands around Mount Ro, which accounts for the country’s total coffee exports. They mainly grow Arabica varieties such as Bourbon, Kent and Dipica, which have a juicy and interesting character.

Uganda

Uganda is the second largest coffee producer in Africa after Ethiopia. It may sound strange at first, because it is almost impossible to find high-quality Ugandan coffee on the market. The reason is simple. Uganda mainly grows native Robusta coffee, and it is the second largest exporter of Robusta coffee in the world after Vietnam. Uganda's Arabica coffee has typical African characteristics, high yield and juicy; while the coffee beans in the western region are relatively heavy, and those processed by the sun method are commonly known as "sun-dried pearl", and those processed by the washed method are called "washed Uganda".

Zambia

Zambia has only been a coffee business platform for less than 50 years, and is a relatively latecomer in the coffee world, especially in the field of specialty coffee. However, due to this, Zambia, led by large coffee plantations, has basically realized the modernization of the coffee industry, and they are also the absolute main force of the country's coffee exports. The most appropriate comment on Zambian coffee is "worth looking forward to", and fresh fruity flavors and acidity can be found in the boutique coffee samples.

Zimbabwe

Unlike most African producers, Zimbabwe’s coffee production has fallen dramatically, from 15,000 tonnes per year in the late 1980s to just 500 tonnes in 2013. Coffee production fell sharply in 2000 when black militants loyal to President Robert Mugabe raided and sealed off farms owned by white Zimbabweans. Vast tracts of coffee land were destroyed in the violence, and the international community subsequently showed no interest in buying coffee from new farmers. The European Union had hoped to inject capital to revive the industry, but the EU, concerned that most of the plantations are located in the disputed eastern highlands, was unwilling to pay.

Major coffee producing countries in the Americas

Bolivia

Bolivia has produced quite a bit of coffee in recent years, but with its annual production declining, the future of this small country in the coffee world looks uncertain. The decline in production is partly due to the country's complex topography, which makes transportation very difficult, and partly due to the fact that Bolivia is a landlocked country and must pass through Peruvian ports to export. The cultivation of coca (the raw material of the plant used to make cocaine) has become increasingly profitable, which is a huge threat to Bolivia's already fragile coffee industry.

Brazil

Brazil has been the world's largest coffee producer since the mid-19th century. Brazil and coffee are so closely linked that even its name has become synonymous with the product, so much so that Frank Sinatra sang "There's Too Much Coffee in Brazil." Brazilians grow coffee more efficiently than anyone else, earning £4 billion ($6.2 billion) a year from coffee exports alone. Brazilian coffee farming is largely mechanized, and the "pick first, sort later" attitude actually makes the coffee quite variable in quality. 80% of the country's coffee is Arabica, with the majority of it grown in the southeast, while higher-quality examples come from individual farms. It's hard to pinpoint a few specific flavors to such a large "coffee of one country," but Brazilian coffee, with its low acidity, buttery, milk chocolate, and nutty flavors, is something I've always loved.

Colombia

Colombian coffee is a great example of how region can influence coffee’s character. The narrow production zone that runs north-south along the Andes Mountains produces a wide variety of Arabica styles, from clean acidity to nutty, chocolatey and tropical. Colombian coffee traceability was once controversial, but the use of direct trade has become more common in recent years, resulting in some very good coffees, especially from the central regions of Nariño and Tolima.

costa rica

Costa Rican coffee is often my first recommendation for new coffee lovers. In 1989, the Costa Rican government outlawed the cultivation of Robusta, demonstrating the country’s commitment to high-quality, high-value coffee. A craft-centric coffee revolution has been launched by small groups of growers who invest in their own wet-milling equipment, largely handing over control of the coffee process to machines, and roasters are happy to see these coffees have strong traceability, and in many cases will favor the specific farms that produced them. Small micro-mills have also led to the popularity of honey processing, making it a signature feature of the country’s coffee. Costa Rica’s coffee styles are diverse and worth taking the time to explore. Generally speaking, washed coffees have a balanced sweetness, while honey and natural coffees have a very earthy flavor.

Cuba

Cuba's coffee production has fallen sharply in recent decades. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Cuba's total coffee harvest area in 1961 was 170,000 hectares, but with Castro's revolution and subsequent nationalization of coffee farms, that number had dropped to 26,935 hectares in 2011. Nationalization means that farmers are paid less, and Cubans remain the world's least profitable Arabica growers. Despite this, Cuba's coffee production has tripled in the past three years, and as the country gradually opens its doors (on a trial basis) to foreign investors, production should continue to grow. This growth is a timely help, as Cuba consumes up to 80% of its domestic coffee domestically, and has to rely on imports to meet demand. Most of Cuba's coffee is Arabica, grown primarily along the Sierra Maestra Mountains on the southwest coast near Santiago.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic consumes more coffee per capita than any other Caribbean island nation, and most of their coffee is produced for their own consumption. This business model usually makes it difficult to produce high-quality products, and the Dominican Republic is no exception. The coffee produced in the central and western regions bordering Haiti is mild, light, and has a floral aroma, making it a good choice.

Ecuador

Although Ecuador's climate is ideal for growing coffee, and some areas have excellent soil for growing high-altitude Arabica coffee, about 40% of the country's coffee is Robusta. Most of Ecuador's Arabica coffee is also relatively poor quality, so the specialty coffee community has little interest in this natural coffee. Interestingly, some Robusta coffees are processed using the washed method, and although their quality is average, they have their own unique style. If you ignore the shortcomings, Arabica coffee grown in the south can still find bright floral flavors.

El Salvador

El Salvador has a long history of coffee production, and at one point was the world’s fourth-largest producer. Political unrest, exploitation of the poor, civil rebellion and long periods of military rule—all too common themes in this region—still haunt the memory of the Salvadoran people, but the coffee industry has weathered the turmoil. The low-yielding, sweet, juicy cup quality of the original Bourbon variety grown at high altitudes is widely recognized as the signature coffee of El Salvador. The Pacas variety was discovered in the country in 1950 and crossed with the Malagoguipe variety (commonly known as the “elephant bean”) to create the outstanding Pacamara variety. Some of the coffees produced in El Salvador are extremely sweet and complex, especially in Apaneja, a new planting area near the Sierra de La Mati Pique.

Guatemala

Coffee, sugar and bananas compete fiercely every year for the title of "Guatemala's largest export commodity". In the late 19th century, coffee triggered large-scale migrations of indigenous peoples. In the mid-20th century, coffee attracted the attention of the CIA and led to the outbreak of civil war. It can be said that the history of Guatemala over the past 150 years is inseparable from coffee. However, these major events do not seem to have affected the quality of the country's coffee. Guatemalan coffee has strong regional characteristics and generally high standards. In recent years, I have produced a lot of coffee with both herbal and fresh fruity aromas, which makes me very satisfied. Guatemalan coffee has very good traceability. You can pay attention to the Catuai and Caturra varieties grown near the towns of Antigua and Huehuetenango Province.

Haiti

In 1780, Haiti, then known as Saint-Domingue, was thriving under French colonial rule. They produced coffee that supplied more than half the world's supply, but today they only produce 0.2% of the world's total. Haiti has struggled with political unrest, poverty, and more recently natural disasters. This country is unusual in that almost all of its population are descendants of the slave rebellion of 1804. Deforestation and soil erosion are the main culprits for the country's decline in coffee production, especially exports. Haiti has the potential to successfully revive its coffee industry, but it must rely on a combination of government support and infrastructure development. Most of Haiti's coffee is processed using the natural method, but some producing areas in the south are beginning to explore the possibility of the washed method.

United States (Hawaii)

Growing coffee in developed countries requires higher costs for labor compensation, infrastructure and other aspects, and Hawaii's fully mechanized harvesting equipment is even more expensive. High costs and successful marketing have made Hawaiian coffee sell for sky-high prices, and fake Hawaiian coffee has become common around the world. Although the quality of the coffee itself does not meet the level of such a price, its potential is still worth affirming. Hawaiian coffee has a typical island coffee style, characterized by milk chocolate flavor and low acidity.

Honduras

Honduras is the largest coffee producer in the Central American Coffee Belt, with coffee as the main export product, accounting for about 15% of the country's total exports. The government's unremitting support for more than 40 years has greatly promoted the development of the coffee industry. Starting with the establishment of the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE), including the construction of regional tasting stations to expose farmers to a complete quality assessment method, a multi-pronged comprehensive approach has effectively improved the quality of Honduran coffee. Unfortunately, all efforts could not stop the impact of coffee leaf rust, and Honduras even entered a national state of emergency in 2013. The traceability of Honduran coffee is generally good, and if you are lucky, you can experience the bright, juicy and honeyed styles of Bourbon and Caturra varieties.

Jamaica

The Blue Mountain region of Jamaica is famous for its eponymous coffee variety and is probably the best commercially marketed coffee growing region in the world. The cool, foggy climate is perfect for coffee, but I feel that if Jamaica had diversified its Arabica variety to produce truly amazing coffee, Blue Mountain coffee would certainly not deserve the attention it has received. Production is extremely low, with most of it being snapped up by Japanese buyers and some being put into Tia Marnier bottles. Jamaican coffee is mostly average, clean and nutty.

Mexico

Most Mexican coffee is grown in the south of the country, with Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala, said to be the best producing region. There are signs that Mexico has mastered the ability to produce top-quality specialty coffees in the process of imitating its neighbors, but today they sell most of their products to Americans. Coffees produced in the south have chocolate, caramel and nutty flavors; coffees in the north are lighter in body and have more obvious citrus flavors.

Nicaragua

In recent years, the Nicaraguan government has been encouraging farmers to adopt good growing techniques, which is normal because coffee remains the country's main export. In fact, few countries rely on coffee as much as Nicaragua: the sharp drop in coffee prices in the early 21st century led to the bankruptcy of three Nicaraguan banks. Nicaraguans are also not reluctant to make their voices heard. In 2010, they took to the streets to call for a ban on the production of Robusta coffee, but failed. Nicaraguans believe that the quality of coffee is the key to a good price, and even regard it as a golden rule. Many farms have also begun to generously show their fruity, complex and beautiful coffee to the world. The traceability of Nicaraguan coffee needs to be solved urgently, and most farmers are still accustomed to handing over their coffee to large washing stations for processing.

Panama

Panama became famous in 2004 when Hacienda Emerald won the Best Panamanian Coffee award at a national coffee competition and subsequently sold the coffee for a record price of $20 (£12.75) per pound. The Peterson family-run farm has been winning the award almost every year since then, and the price of the coffee has risen accordingly, with a batch of coffee sold for $350 (£225) per pound in 2013. The Gesha variety bred by the Peterson family is now popular around the world, and farmers all agree that the coffee has great commercial potential. Other Panamanian coffees taste very light, with floral, citrus and tea flavors, but are not as popular as Gesha. Panama is one of the world's best coffee producers, but ironically, as Americans increasingly like to buy vacation homes in Panama, the resulting commercial development is threatening to swallow up the country's coffee farmland. Not surprisingly, Panama's total coffee production has fallen by 15 percentage points over the past three years.

Paraguay

Paraguay is a small country in the coffee world, with annual production usually not exceeding 20,000 bags (60 kg, 130 pounds), which is not even as high as some medium-sized coffee plantations in neighboring Brazil. But this was not the case historically. After reaching its peak in the 1970s, Paraguay's coffee production slowly fell back, and after the coffee crisis in the 1980s, it plummeted completely. The little coffee that was grown was along the Brazilian border, and the difficult transportation, government inaction and backward infrastructure made the coffee quality in Paraguay quite poor.

Peru

Small farms, large areas of organic soil and high altitude are the three keywords of Peruvian coffee industry. Peruvian organic Arabica coffee is the cheapest on the market, but its quality and consistency will become better and better - because I believe this country has the ability to produce fine coffee. The Cajamarca region in the north is the largest coffee-growing area in the country, accounting for about 70% of Peru's total Arabica coffee production, which is actually quite impressive considering that Peru is the world's 8th largest coffee producer. Putting aside the quality differences, Peruvian coffee is usually light, clean, sweet, very bright, but occasionally not fruity enough.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico's coffee industry is shrinking, with just 700 bags harvested in 2013 - a figure that some official data do not even include - making the Caribbean island one of the smallest coffee producers in the world. There are many reasons for the decline in coffee production, including soaring prices for coffee seeds and fertilizers. But the most decisive factor is a severe shortage of pickers, which has left more than a third of ripe coffee cherries unpicked.

Venezuela

Very little Venezuelan coffee is exported. Annual production has remained stable at around 1 million bags for 30 years, but the country consumes more and more of it domestically. This is largely due to strict regulations imposed by the Chavez government in 2003, which have reduced Venezuela's export rate of the annual crop from 50% in the 1990s to 2% today. Venezuelan coffee is hard to come by.

Asia and Australasia

Australia

Australia is the only developed country that grows coffee commercially, except for Hawaii. However, the country's production is extremely low, and the planting composition is all modern Arabica varieties. Australia's labor costs are much higher than those of less developed countries. They grow coffee at high altitudes along the east coast, and most of them are harvested mechanically.

China

Coffee accounts for a small portion of China's economy, but the country's coffee industry is growing year by year, with 82,000 tons produced in 2013. With the addition of Yunnan Province in southern China (famous for its Pu'er tea), this number is expected to increase by 50% in five years, but China's infrastructure still needs to improve to keep pace with this development. Most of the coffee produced in Yunnan is Arabica varieties such as Catim, Bourbon and Tiberia. Like the local tea, Yunnan coffee is not very acidic and has a strong aroma and nutty flavor.

India

Like some Asian coffee producers, India produces a large amount of Robusta coffee while also maintaining a high-quality Arabica coffee. Most of Indian coffee is grown in the south of the country, while the slightly cooler north is more suitable for tea. Monsoon Malabar is a very Indian coffee, named after the method of processing the coffee beans to swell due to moisture - this often happens naturally during the monsoon season every year. Monsoon Malabar is processed using the natural method, which amplifies the wild, heavy style of the coffee beans. High-quality Arabica coffee is emerging in India, and the country's coffee industry is constantly exploring more varieties.

Indonesia

Indonesia was one of the first countries to commercially grow coffee, after Yemen. The country is made up of a large number of islands, each of which interprets the style of Indonesian coffee in its own way. The most outstanding of these are the famous producing areas of Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi, which account for 7% of the world's total coffee production, and also push Indonesia to the third place in the world's coffee production. Most of the Arabica coffee in Indonesia is processed by the semi-sun method (locally called giling basah, wet peeling method), and its typical style is low acidity, earthy flavor and good concentration, which is very suitable for espresso blending. The washed coffee of Sulawesi is of better quality, showing more spice and fruity flavors, but overall it still retains the richness of Indonesian coffee.

Nepal

Although Nepal produced only 5,000 bags of Arabica coffee (60 kg, 130 pounds) in 2013, this figure is already twice that of the previous year and 10 times that of 20 years ago, indicating that the country's coffee production should continue to grow in the future. In recent years, Nepalese farmers have become increasingly interested in coffee, and its income is even more than three times that of corn, millet and other commodity crops combined. Coffee consumption in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, has even begun to challenge the status of tea.

papua new guinea

It is said that coffee cultivation in Papua New Guinea originated from Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee seeds that took root in the country in the 1920s. It is estimated that 30% of the population of Papua New Guinea today depends on the income from the sale of coffee, 99% of which is Arabica. The country's best coffee comes from the eastern highlands near the small town of Goroka. The Tiberia, Bourbon and New World varieties have aromas of vanilla, tobacco, cedar and tropical fruit flavors.

the Philippines

In the early 19th century, the Philippines was the world's fourth largest coffee producer. Since Robusta was not officially classified into the botanical classification system until the 1890s, all coffee at that time was considered "Arabica". Today, the Philippines mainly produces Robusta and Liberica varieties, the latter of which is locally called "kapeng barako".

Thailand

Thailand almost exclusively grows Robusta coffee for instant coffee, but there is also a small amount of washed Arabica coffee in the northern regions of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. Excellent planting techniques and organized management methods allow farmers in these areas to harvest almost flawless coffee (including Caturra, Catuai, Catimu and Gesha varieties), which will present sweet fruity aromas and unique smoky floral aromas after being roasted darker.

East Timor

Between 2011 and 2013, East Timor’s annual coffee production fell from 10% to 20%, and the future of the country’s small coffee industry seemed uncertain. East Timor, which shares the Nusa Tenggara archipelago with Indonesia (East Timor gained independence from Indonesia in 2002), has a mountainous and hilly landscape that is ideal for growing Arabica coffee, but the poverty-stricken country has been struggling for economic survival. Starbucks has acquired much of the country’s coffee output to use in its Arabica Mocha Timor blend. Coffee is East Timor’s largest cash crop, and hopefully it will help this crisis-ridden young country grow and develop.

Vietnam

Perhaps many people don’t realize that Vietnam is the world’s second-largest coffee producer. The country’s production is still less than half of Brazil’s, and the vast majority is low-quality Robusta coffee. Although Arabica accounts for only 5% of its total production, the large base of Vietnam’s coffee industry means that this number is more than twice the national production of Kenya. Small-scale coffee plantations are scattered throughout northern Vietnam, and the high altitude environment here is a necessary condition for Arabica coffee to grow, but high-quality coffee is still rare.

Yemen

Yemen is the first country to commercially grow coffee, and the hilly region near the eastern coast of the Red Sea still produces some pretty amazing natural coffee today. Yemen's coffee farming is almost entirely made up of very small farmers, with an average of no more than 500 coffee trees per site, producing about 160 kg of coffee per season. Unfortunately, this situation means that traceability of coffee is almost non-existent. Some varieties of Tiberias are named after regions, but not necessarily the production area where they are grown. The word "Mocha" is often seen on Yemeni coffee labels, which refers to the port city of Mocha from which Yemen ships coffee. Benchmark quality Yemeni natural coffees are usually fruity.