The main coffee producing countries in the world
In many cities around the world, there’s a coffee shop on every corner, so it’s no surprise that coffee is one of the world’s major commodities. As the third most consumed beverage in the world, after water and tea, coffee beans are in high demand almost everywhere.
Major producing countries each produce billions of kilograms of coffee beans that end up in the hands of greedy consumers. According to the International Coffee Organization, a total of 169.6 million 60 kilogram bags of coffee were produced worldwide in 2020.
So why does the world love coffee so much?
For the love of coffee
As most coffee lovers would tell you, drinking coffee is a complex and nuanced experience – there’s the rich aroma, comforting warmth and beauty of the ritual of sitting down with a cool cup.
With the variety of ways it can be served and the caffeine boost it gives us, it’s not hard to see why the world loves its coffee. In fact, we love the drink so much that humans have conditioned themselves to associate the bitter taste of coffee with a burst of energy and positive reinforcement.
So where does the journey of each cup of coffee come from? Let’s get to know the main coffee producing countries in the world.
World leaders in coffee production
At the end of 2020, the 10 largest coffee producing countries held 87% the market share of the commodity.
Here is a list of Top 20 of the largest coffee producing countries in the world:
| Rank | The country | Manufacturing in 2020 (Millions of 60 kg bags) |
Total market share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 63.4 | 37.4% |
| 2 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 29.0 | 17.1% |
| 3 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 14.3 | 8.4% |
| 4 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 12.0 | 7.1% |
| 5 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 7.3 | 4.3% |
| 6 | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 6.1 | 3.6% |
| 7 | 🇮🇳 India | 5.7 | 3.4% |
| 8 | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 5.6 | 3.3% |
| 9 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 4.0 | 2.4% |
| ten | 🇵🇪 Peru | 3.8 | 2.2% |
| 11 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 3.7 | 2.2% |
| 12 | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 2.7 | 1.6% |
| 13 | 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast | 1.8 | 1.1% |
| 14 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 1.5 | 0.9% |
| 15 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 0.9 | 0.5% |
| 16 | 🇰🇪Kenya | 0.7 | 0.4% |
| 17 | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 0.7 | 0.4% |
| 18 | 🇱🇦 Laos | 0.6 | 0.4% |
| 19 | 🇸🇻 Salvador | 0.6 | 0.4% |
| 20 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 0.6 | 0.4% |
While some of the top coffee producing countries in the world are well known, others may come as a surprise. More … than 70 countries produce coffee, but the majority of global production comes from just the top five producers: Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia and Ethiopia.
Meet the main coffee producing countries
1. Brazil
Brazil is a real powerhouse of coffee production. The country alone produces nearly 40% of the world’s coffee supply.
Many parts of Brazil have a perfect climate for growing coffee. Coffee plantations cover approximately 27,000 square kilometers of Brazil, with the majority located in Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Parana.
Brazil differs from most other coffee-producing countries in drying the coffee cherries in the sun (unwashed coffee) rather than washing them.
The country has such an influence on coffee production that the 60-kilogram burlap sacks historically used to export beans from Brazil are still the global standard for measuring production and trade.
2. Vietnam
Vietnam has found a niche in the international market by focusing mainly on the cheaper Robusta bean. Robusta beans can contain up to twice as much caffeine as Arabica beans, which gives the coffee a more bitter taste.
Although coffee has been grown in the region for over a century, production skyrocketed in the 1990s after Vietnam’s communist government introduced economic reforms (known as Đổi Mới).
Today, Vietnam has more than 40% of the world production of Robusta beans.
Coffee cultivation in Vietnam is also extremely productive. The country’s coffee yields are considerably higher than those of other major coffee producing countries.
3. Colombia
A popular advertising campaign featuring a fictional coffee producer named Juan Valdez helped make Colombia one of the most famous coffee producing countries. A coveted beverage of choice, Colombian coffee is prized for its aromatic, sweet and fruity flavors.
4. Indonesia
Some of the rarest coffees in the Western world come from Indonesia, including Kopi Luwak, a type of bean that was eaten and defecated by the Asian civet. Coffee made from these coffee beans can cost you between $35 to $100 per cup.
5. Ethiopia
Known for its full-bodied, down-to-earth and full-bodied coffee beans, Ethiopia is the country that gave us Arabica coffee. Today, this type of coffee is considered the most sold in cafes and restaurants around the world.
All of these major producing countries are in the so-called “Bean Belt”, located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
The future of coffee production
With rising global temperatures, good coffee can become increasingly difficult to grow. For sustainable and long-lasting coffee bean growth, finding new hybrid coffee bean blends is essential.
Several studies and research missions have found wild species of coffee growing off the coast of Ivory Coast and parts of Sierra Leone, which could be the answer to our coffee production problems. The coffee from these coffee trees tasted similar to the famous Arabica bean and also grew at higher temperatures.
Although the future of coffee production around the world is somewhat uncertain, our collective love of the morning cup of coffee will lead to innovative solutions, even in the face of climate change.
