Top Chestnut Producing Countries

Chestnut farming has deep roots in world history, especially across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The chestnut tree (genus *Castanea*) has been cultivated for thousands of years, with evidence of its domestication dating back to ancient Greece, Rome, and China, where it was valued both as a staple food and for its durable wood. In Europe, particularly in Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal, chestnut orchards became essential to rural economies, often referred to as the "bread tree" for the flour made from its nuts during times of grain scarcity. In Asia, China has long been the global leader in chestnut production, accounting for over 80% of the world’s output today, with South Korea and Japan also significant producers. In the Americas, chestnut farming was devastated by the chestnut blight in the early 20th century, but efforts to restore the American chestnut are ongoing. Today, the top chestnut-producing countries are China, Turkey, South Korea, Italy, and Greece, each continuing a legacy of cultivation that spans continents and centuries.

Data from United Nations FAO Stat