Coffee production is an industry that features some of the fiercest competition on the planet.
Annually, this industry provides work for thousands of farmers across 70 countries and five continents, with even more people involved in the value chain. No wonder then that, after oil, coffee is the second most exported commodity in the world.
Looking at all the world’s coffee producers, many of them can be seen to have similar geographic attributes. The majority of the world’s coffee is grown in the Bean Belt, sometimes also referred to as the Coffee Belt.
The Bean Belt is a geographical area that lies between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Since coffee prefers warmer climates, it cannot be grown in areas too close to the northern or southern poles.
Source: Two Chimps Coffee
It is interesting to note that around 70 nations produce coffee but not all of these export their finished product. Some only grow coffee trees to produce coffee beans for the domestic market.
Global coffee production
The amount of coffee produced increased from 133.99 million 60 kg bags in 2010/11 to almost 175.35 million bags in 2020/2021 (a 132-pound or 60 kg bag is one of the most common coffee measuring units, with most of the largest exporters using this).
In 2021/22, production dropped slightly although this is expected to increase. According to the US Department of Agriculture, 172.8 million bags — an increase of 6.6 million bags — will be produced globally in 2022–2023 as the world’s consumption is expected to grow with the EU and the US experiencing the biggest increases.
The table below shows that global coffee production in some countries has decreased from June 2022/23 to December 2022/23 which is mainly attributed to environmental factors such as heavy rains (particularly in Brazil) and severe dry spells in other regions.
Coffee production by country
The major coffee producers, according to the United States Department of Agriculture are as follows (the table shows data in thousand 60-kilogram bags).
Source: USDA
Here are the top 10 coffee-producing countries:
The production of coffee is extremely popular in Latin America, but some Asian countries try to keep pace and stay in the top league of coffee producers. Here are the countries that can boast the largest volumes of coffee production on a global scale:
1. Brazil
This Latin American country is by far the largest coffee producer in the world. Brazil’s geographic location means it is a great place to cultivate coffee with the Bean Belt encompassing almost the entire nation. Conditions are ideal for coffee plantations thanks to the generally steady, hot, and humid climate conditions.
Brazil generates a staggering 2.6 million metric tons of coffee annually (70% of which is the Arabica variety) which represents around 40% of global coffee production.
In 2021/22, the production of Arabica coffee was hit by severe frosts in the cold season and hot weather with lower levels of rainfall that continued from July to September. However, for the second season in a row, the sector has continued to recover.
2. Vietnam
Since its temperature and elevation facilitate the extensive growth of the resilient Robusta coffee variety, this country has historically focused on Robusta coffee mass production. A whopping 1.6 million metric tons of coffee are exported from Vietnam each year making it the second-largest coffee producer and the first in terms of Robusta production.
3. Colombia
This country is renowned for growing high-quality Arabica and for using cultivation techniques that date back more than two centuries. It produces over 750,000 metric tonnes of coffee which is then exported around the globe. However, even though normal weather conditions have been predicted, crop yields could suffer as a result of less fertilizer being used due to increased prices although some consider Colombia’s coffee production will remain at the same level as 2022–2023.
4. Indonesia
The island of Sumatra contains the majority of the nation’s coffee-growing acreage. Indonesia grows around 20 types of coffee and boasts one of the most distinctive coffee processing techniques – a small mammal native to Southeast Asia called a civet consumes coffee berries, which are then fermented and excreted. Farmers collect, clean, and roast these beans. This type of coffee is believed to be the most expensive in the world. Due to concerns about the safety of the Asian civets used in the process, the production of this coffee has given rise to some dispute.
The making of civet coffee
5. Ethiopia
Ethiopia was the birthplace of Arabica coffee variety and today coffee represents the country’s major export commodity, playing an important role in the livelihoods of over 15 million smallholder farmers in this African country. Coffee makes up more than 30% of all export income although domestic consumption accounts for 50–55% of the nation’s production which has considerably increased over the last few years.
6. Uganda
Robusta beans are indigenous to Uganda and primarily grow in the Lake Victoria area. With 399,000 metric tons of coffee produced annually. Although the country’s coffee production registered a rather steady rise from 1972 to 2022, with growing global demand for specialty coffee of the highest quality, Uganda has an excellent opportunity to export this variety of coffee if it can ensure that the appropriate phytosanitary requirements are in place.
7. India
While India produces high-quality coffee, it is a relatively modest producer compared to Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia. The latest data shows its annual coffee production reached around 360,000 metric tons as of December 2022/23. However, more than 70% of the nation’s coffee production is exported, as locals prefer to drink tea.
8. Honduras
Over the past couple of decades this country has grown to become Central America’s top coffee exporter. Although it has always been largely recognized as a supplier of commercial-grade Arabicas, Honduras currently produces a large variety of coffee types, from commercial to specialty, registering an annual production of 360,000 metric tons.
9. Peru
Coffee is the country’s primary agricultural export contributing 25% of the country’s agricultural income and providing a living for a quarter of a million family farms. Currently, over 223,000 families have dedicated 425,000 hectares to coffee cultivation, and over 300,000 people are dependent in some way on the coffee sector. Coffee plantations occupy over 40% of the country’s total land area (more than 560 thousand square km).
10. Mexico
Approximately 95% of the coffee produced in this country is Arabica. About 70% of the more than 500,000 farmers who grow coffee are smallholders. The consumption of homegrown coffee is being actively encouraged by the government.
If we calculate the total amount of coffee (in metric tons) produced in each of the countries mentioned above, based on the latest data, the following data emerges:
One study predicts that the global coffee market will expand at a CAGR of over 2.52% and hit US$28.8 billion by 2027.
Source: Researchandmarkets.com
Final word
To produce the ideal cup of coffee, a sophisticated and comprehensive procedure of precise cultivation, harvesting, processing, and roasting is needed.
Today, over 50 countries greatly depend on the coffee industry with Brazil being by far the biggest producer overall and Vietnam being the first in terms of Robusta coffee production.
It seems as though coffee consumption trends will continue to drive economic growth for numerous countries that have registered an increase in coffee production over the next few years.
