The need for special climatic conditions and specific soil allows coffee to be grown only in areas located near the equator, and climate change on the planet is already reducing the territories suitable for its cultivation.
Coffee bean production is concentrated in the countries of Central America, South America, Africa and Asia. South America produces more than half of the world's coffee, which has its own characteristic taste and aroma, as well as low cost. Central American coffee has good characteristics and is also popular worldwide.
African beans have a strong and deep aroma, as well as a deep and tart taste. Asian countries have a very long history of growing coffee trees; it is here that excellent arabica and rare liberica are produced. Among Asian countries, there are several major global exporters – Indonesia and Vietnam.
The leading coffee exporting countries are Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, India, Honduras, Uganda, Mexico and Guatemala. Below we will look at each country in more detail. You can buy coffee from all over the world in the online store CoffeeTRD.
Brazil
Since 2015, Brazil has been the leading country in coffee exports, accounting for a third of the world market. It produces arabica, average in price and quality, aimed at mass consumption. The area of plantations is more than 27 thousand square kilometers, and they produce more than 2 million tons each year. Elite and expensive varieties are not grown in Brazil.
Vietnam
Every year Vietnam grows about one and a half million tons of coffee. This country accounts for a fifth of the world market. Arabica and robusta are grown here, which are imported to 80 countries. The main importer of Vietnamese coffee is Germany. In terms of export volume, coffee is the second product for Vietnam after rice.
Colombia
For the country, coffee cultivation is the main direction of agriculture. High-quality arabica is produced here. Coffee exports give Colombia about 4% of GDP. Being a very valuable product, the country's authorities have registered the produced coffee under the trademark "Colombian Coffee". Due to global climate change, the country loses harvests every year, so the amount of beans produced is decreasing.
Indonesia
About half a million tons per year allows Indonesia to remain among the leaders in production, although here coffee is mainly produced by small farmers, focusing on quantity rather than quality.
Mexico
Here, mainly mass coffee is produced, as in Indonesia – mainly by small producers, although there are also quite good varieties. The main variety is arabica.
Ethiopia
Production is at the level of almost 400 thousand tons per year. This country is the birthplace of the arabica tree. Up to 15 million citizens are involved in coffee production in this country, and the coffee bean itself accounts for a third of exports. Ethiopia grows the high-quality variety "Harar".
India
In terms of the quality of the coffee produced, the country is on par with Indonesia. Most of the products are exported to Europe and Russia.
Costa Rica
Coffee produced in Costa Rica is considered one of the best in the world. Tart and with a high caffeine content, Costa Rican coffee can be used in blends with other varieties. For the country itself, coffee exports account for 20 percent of GDP. Many experts agree that it is arabica grown in Costa Rica in full compliance with all the rules that is suitable for this variety. This is also facilitated by the climate and soil characteristics.