Coffee Bean Producers Around The World
Coffee plants require plenty of sunshine and rain to flourish, so it’s not surprising to find it produced in tropical or sub-tropical areas.
Take your globe and follow the equator to find that the most important coffee producers are nearby. There is a narrow band from 23 degrees north or 25 degrees south that produces the all world’s coffee. Some 70 countries produce and market coffee beans.
In 2008 the leading coffee producing countries were as follows.
| Total Production of Exporting Countries in 2008 | (000 bags) |
|---|---|
| World Production | 127,005 |
| Brazil (A/R) | 45,992 |
| Vietnam (R) | 16,000 |
| Colombia (A) | 10,500 |
| Ethiopia (A) | 6,133 |
| Indonesia (R/A) | 5,833 |
| Mexico (A) | 4,650 |
| India (A/R) | 4,610 |
| Peru (A) | 4,102 |
| Honduras (A) | 3,833 |
| Uganda (R/A) | 3,500 |
| Guatemala (A/R) | 3,370 |
| Cote d’Ivoire (R) | 2,500 |
| Nicaragua (A) | 1,600 |
| Costa Rica (A) | 1,594 |
| El Salvador (A) | 1,369 |
| Source: International Coffee Organization | |
Brazil continues to be the largest coffee bean producing country with 36% of the total world output.
Vietnam’s rapidly growing coffee industry has taken the number 2 spot from Columbia with 12% versus 8% of the total.
The best beans come from coffee trees in high altitudes but the trees can be adapted a wider range of areas.
In some countries coffee is produced on large plantations, in other areas the plantations are really small farms.
The large plantations in Brazil employ hundreds of farm workers to care for the plants.
Although coffee plants were introduced to Vietnam in the 19th century, the industry was dormant until the 1980s. It is now the most important coffee producer in Asia.
In Columbia coffee beans are grown in remote mountainous areas and transport to market is still dependent on mules or Jeeps.
Ethiopia, which legends say was the place coffee production began, is still an important producer with almost 5% of the total. Other important African coffee producing countries include the Ivory Coast and Kenya.
Even though coffee is grown in a relatively narrow band around the equator, there is a wonderful variety of places where it is found.
Indonesia has hundreds of very one and two acre farms scattered over it’s thousands of islands, but the larger islands of Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi dominate it’s production.
Similarly Mexico’s coffee is grown on more than 100,000 small farms in Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas.
Of all the coffee producing areas, only one Hawaii is located in an economically and technologically advanced country. On the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano some of the most flavorful coffee in the world is produced. The tropical climate that attracts so many tourists is ideal for growing coffee at higher altitudes.
The variety of climates, terrains, and economies where coffee is produced is amazing. So is the wonderful aroma, flavor and texture of coffee beans from around the world.
Updated June 1, 2009
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