What are the 5 countries that produce the most coffee?

While some of the world's top coffee-producing countries are well known, others may come as a surprise. More than 70 countries produce coffee, but most of the world's production comes from the top five producers: Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia and Ethiopia. Let's look at the characteristics of the largest coffee producers in the world. 

1. Brazil

Coffee production has played a fundamental role in the development of Brazil and continues to be a driver of the country's economy. The plant was introduced to Brazil at the beginning of the 1840th century by French settlers. With the rise in popularity of coffee among Europeans, Brazil became the world's largest producer in the 300.000s and has been so ever since. Some 58 coffee farms spread across the Brazilian landscape. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Brazil produced 60 million 2019-kilogram bags of coffee in the 20-XNUMX campaign, representing more than a third of global production.

2 Vietnam

Relatively new to the international coffee trade, Vietnam has quickly become one of the largest producers. In the 1980s, the Communist Party made a big bet on coffee, and production increased by 20% to 30% each year during the 1990s, completely transforming the nation's economy. Vietnam is expected to produce 32,2 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee in 2019-2020, according to the USDA. Vietnam found a niche in the international market by focusing mainly on the less expensive robusta grain. Robusta beans can have up to twice as much caffeine as Arabica beans, giving the coffee a more bitter taste. Vietnam is the number 1 producer of robusta coffee in the world, with more than 40% of global production.

3. Colombia

A popular advertising campaign starring a fictional coffee farmer named Juan Valdez helped brand Colombia as one of the most famous coffee-producing nations. Colombia is famous for its quality coffee and is expected to produce 14,3 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee. For several years starting in 2008, Colombian coffee crops were affected by a leaf disease known as coffee rust. Production plummeted but has since recovered as the country replaced trees with rust-resistant varieties. Colombia ranks second in Arabica production, and millions of people around the world prefer its smooth and balanced flavor.

4 Indonesia

Indonesia's location and climate have helped it become the world's third largest producer of robusta. Total production, including robusta and arabica, is 10,7 million 60-kilogram bags. In Indonesia, there are 1,2 million hectares of coffee crops; Small, independent farms account for the vast majority of production, each owning one to two hectares. Indonesia produces several types of highly sought-after specialty coffees, the most interesting of which is Kopi Luwak. Collected from the feces of Asian palm civets, the kernels have a characteristic and understandably unique flavor. The process of collecting and harvesting the beans is quite intensive, and the result is one of the most expensive coffee beans in the world.

5. Ethiopia

Ethiopia regained the number 5 spot in the 2018-2019 campaign and produced 7,3 million 60-kilogram bags in the 2019-2020 campaign, narrowly surpassing Honduras, which had taken the position from Ethiopia in the 2016-2017 campaign. Ethiopia is Africa's largest coffee producer and is expected to continue exporting record quantities according to the USDA.