Coffee farming traces its origins to the ancient coffee forests of Ethiopia, where legend credits a goat herder named Kaldi with discovering the energizing effects of coffee beans. By the 15th century, coffee cultivation and trade had spread to Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula, where it became integral to Islamic culture. The 17th and 18th centuries saw coffee plants transported by European colonists to Asia and the Americas, establishing plantations in suitable climates. Today, Brazil stands as the world’s leading coffee producer, followed by Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia. These countries benefit from tropical climates and rich soils ideal for coffee cultivation, and their economies and cultures are deeply intertwined with the global coffee trade. The spread of coffee farming reflects centuries of agricultural innovation, colonial expansion, and evolving consumer demand, making coffee one of the most significant and widely traded agricultural commodities in the world.
Rank | Country | Metric Tons |
---|---|---|
1 | Brazil | 2,993,780 |
2 | Vietnam | 1,845,033 |
3 | Indonesia | 765,415 |
4 | Colombia | 560,340 |
5 | Ethiopia | 456,000 |
6 | Honduras | 400,674 |
7 | Uganda | 374,760 |
8 | Peru | 365,582 |
9 | India | 334,000 |
10 | Guatemala | 226,700 |
11 | Mexico | 174,341 |
12 | Nicaragua | 167,831 |
13 | Laos | 161,200 |
14 | Cote d Ivoire | 134,700 |
15 | China | 108,906 |
16 | Costa Rica | 88,200 |
17 | Tanzania | 73,027 |
18 | Philippines | 60,607 |
19 | Venezuela | 54,135 |
20 | Congo | 54,089 |
21 | Madagascar | 44,395 |
22 | Papua New Guinea | 42,480 |
23 | Guinea | 40,273 |
24 | Cameroon | 36,096 |
25 | Kenya | 34,500 |
26 | El Salvador | 33,900 |
27 | Thailand | 30,000 |
28 | Bolivia | 23,452 |
29 | Yemen | 21,077 |
30 | Haiti | 20,700 |
31 | Rwanda | 19,467 |
32 | Burundi | 17,100 |
33 | Togo | 16,818 |
34 | Dominican Republic | 16,186 |
35 | Timor-Leste | 13,314 |
36 | Angola | 10,304 |
37 | Central African Republic | 10,062 |
38 | Malawi | 10,000 |
39 | Cuba | 9,100 |
40 | Myanmar | 8,928 |
41 | Jamaica | 7,990 |
42 | Panama | 6,900 |
43 | Zambia | 6,637 |
44 | Sri Lanka | 5,306 |
45 | Ecuador | 4,917 |
46 | Malaysia | 4,151 |
47 | Equatorial Guinea | 4,139 |
48 | Puerto Rico | 4,066 |
49 | Congo | 3,138 |
50 | Sierra Leone | 2,400 |
51 | United States of America | 2,270 |
52 | Nigeria | 1,815 |
Data from United Nations FAO Stat