{ "id": "ethiopia", "url": "https://coffearium.org/entries/ethiopia/", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "title": "Ethiopia", "summary": "The home of wild arabica and Africa’s largest coffee producer, an arabica-only origin where most coffee grows under trees on smallholder plots and a large share of the crop is drunk at home.", "domain": "origin", "kind": "Region", "stage": "farm", "topics": [], "topicSections": {}, "lang": "en", "status": "verified", "reviewer": "Coffearium verification pass", "lastVerified": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z", "literatureSearched": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z", "updated": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z", "added": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z", "brief": [ "Ethiopia was the fifth-largest producer in 2025/26, with 11.56 of the world’s 178.8 million 60-kg bags, all arabica, by the count of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).1", "Arabica is native to south-western Ethiopia; in a 2017 study, coffee was grown mostly at 1,200–2,200 m.11,9", "About 5.9 million farmers grow coffee, according to the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA); smallholders produce 90% of the crop on plots averaging under half a hectare.4", "ECTA’s 2026 guide, which states no year for the data, gives the shares of four production systems as 50% garden, 35% semi-forest, 10% forest and 5% plantation coffee.8", "USDA estimates that Ethiopia drank 4.5 million bags in 2025/26, 38.9% of its crop (our calculation); earlier USDA reports put the share at about half.1,5,6" ], "quickFacts": [ { "label": "Production (USDA)", "value": "11.56 million 60-kg bags (2025/26); 12.1 million forecast (2026/27)" }, { "label": "Production (FAO)", "value": "575,696 t (2024, imputed value)" }, { "label": "Share of world output", "value": "6.5% (USDA, 2025/26) · 5.2% (FAO, 2024), our calculation" }, { "label": "Species", "value": "Arabica only" }, { "label": "Altitude", "value": "Mostly 1,200–2,200 m (2017 study)" }, { "label": "Farmers", "value": "About 5.9 million (ECTA, reported 2026)" }, { "label": "Production systems", "value": "Garden 50%, semi-forest 35%, forest 10%, plantation 5% (ECTA guide, 2026; year of data not stated)" }, { "label": "Processing", "value": "70–80% unwashed (natural), 20–30% washed (USDA, 2021)" }, { "label": "Main harvest", "value": "October–December (USDA, 2026)" }, { "label": "Largest region", "value": "Oromia, 59.5% of production (ECTA, 2023/24–2025/26 average)" } ], "aka": [ "Ethiopian coffee" ], "linkTerms": [ "Ethiopian coffee", "coffee forest", "garden coffee", "semi-forest coffee", "forest coffee" ], "related": [ "ethiopian-landraces", "coffea-arabica", "the-ethiopian-coffee-ceremony", "coffee-as-food-in-ethiopia", "coffee-berry-disease", "coffee-wilt-disease", "shade-and-agroforestry", "the-coffee-belt", "harvest-calendars", "green-coffee-grading", "natural-process", "washed-process", "auctions-and-competitions", "coffee-production-by-country", "coffeehouses-from-mecca-to-europe", "the-arabica-bottleneck", "colombia" ], "contested": [ "When trading coffee through the ECX became mandatory: a 2021 policy report dates the proclamation to August 200828; a 2023 study has coffee on the exchange from December 2008, with the law on mandatory trading passed a few months after the exchange opened.16", "Share of the crop drunk at home: a 2000 FAO profile puts local consumption at about 35% (1999 data)19; a 2021 USDA country report gives 50–55%6 and a 2025 report “nearly half”5; the July 2026 USDA circular gives 4.5 million bags drunk of 11.56 million produced in 2025/26, which is 38.9% (our calculation).1 Coffee production by country lists the same disagreement.", "Size of the crop: USDA gives 11.56 million bags (about 694,000 t, our calculation) for marketing year 2025/261; FAO gives 575,696 t (about 9.6 million bags, our calculation) for calendar year 2024, a value FAO imputed rather than received from an official source.3 The datasets use different years and methods.", "Altitude of the coffee area: a 2017 study states that coffee is mostly confined to 1,200–2,200 m9; a 2025 USDA report gives elevations between 1,500 and over 2,200 m for the main growing areas.5 The wild range of the species is given differently again (see Coffea arabica).", "Number of producers: a 2017 study counts about four million smallholder farms9, and a 2018 USDA report over four million smallholder farmers7; a 2026 USDA report cites ECTA for 5.9 million farmers.4 The figures come from different years and count farms or farmers.", "Harvest months: a 2000 FAO profile gives August to January as the harvest19; a 2026 USDA report names October to December as the main harvest period.4 The first describes the whole season, the second the main period." ], "corrections": [], "sources": [ { "id": "s1", "title": "Coffee: World Markets and Trade (July 2026)", "authors": "USDA Foreign Agricultural Service", "year": 2026, "publisher": "United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service", "url": "https://apps.fas.usda.gov/psdonline/circulars/2026/07/coffee.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Ethiopia values from the Coffee Summary tables (Arabica Production, Production, Bean Exports, Exports, Domestic Consumption), thousand 60-kg bags, marketing years 2021/22–2026/27; Ethiopia is not listed in the Robusta Production table; its marketing year (October–September) from the table Marketing Years for Producing Countries. Shares and ranks are our calculation.", "quote": "Ethiopia is forecast to increase output by more than 500,000 bags to a record 12.1 million on higher area and yield.", "quotes": [ { "text": "Over the last 4 years, growth has been driven by replacement of over half of the cultivated area with higher-yielding coffee varieties.", "for": "variety replacement" }, { "text": "Ethiopia is reduced over 800,000 bags to 6.9 million on higher-than-anticipated domestic consumption.", "for": "export estimate lowered" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s2", "title": "Coffee bean production (FAOSTAT, Crops and livestock products, item Coffee, green)", "authors": "Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); processed by Our World in Data", "year": 2026, "publisher": "FAO via Our World in Data", "url": "https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/coffee-bean-production", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "FAO statistics are Tier A; read through Our World in Data, which republishes the FAOSTAT series in tonnes. Values for Ethiopia, calendar years 2000–2024, read on 2 Nov 2026 from the chart’s CSV download (entity Ethiopia, 1993–2024; earlier years are under “Ethiopia (former)”); the 2024 value (575,696.2 t) matches the site’s FAOSTAT extract. FAO flags are not shown in the CSV; only the 2024 flag (imputed) was checked.", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s3", "title": "FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products (item “Coffee, green”, element “Production”, 2024)", "authors": "Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations", "year": 2026, "publisher": "FAO, licence CC BY 4.0", "url": "https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Values and flags from the FAOSTAT extract of 11 Oct 2026 used by the site’s world coffee map, kept in tools/figures/data/the-coffee-belt-production-faostat-2024.json (78 countries and territories; Ethiopia 575,696.18 t, flag I = imputed). Rank, sum and share are our calculation.", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s4", "title": "Ethiopia: Coffee Annual (ET2026-0005)", "authors": "USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Global Agricultural Information Network", "year": 2026, "publisher": "United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service (Addis Ababa)", "url": "https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=Coffee+Annual_Addis+Ababa_Ethiopia_ET2026-0005.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Government report by USDA staff at the Addis Ababa post, dated 20 May 2026. Regional shares from its Figure 1 (three-year average, MY 2023/24–2025/26, data from ECTA); the seven listed shares add up to 99.5%. Farmer count attributed by the report to ECTA. Area and supply values from Table 4 (New Post).", "quote": "Smallholder farmers dominate Ethiopia's coffee sector, accounting for 90 percent of total national production.", "quotes": [ { "text": "Reports by the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA) show that 5.9 million farmers are engaged in coffee production across the country.", "for": "number of farmers" }, { "text": "These farmers typically cultivate coffee on small plots averaging less than half a hectare,", "for": "plot size" }, { "text": "Figure 1: Regional Coffee Production Share (MY 2023/24–2025/26, Three-Year Average)", "for": "regional shares (ECTA data)" }, { "text": "main harvest period of October to December.", "for": "main harvest" }, { "text": "Ethiopia's coffee trade regulation allows producers and farmers with at least two hectares of land", "for": "direct export" }, { "text": "and reduced reliance on the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) as the exclusive trading channel.", "for": "ECX no longer exclusive" }, { "text": "ECTA administers a minimum export price that acts as a price floor below which export contracts cannot be registered.", "for": "minimum export price" }, { "text": "to operationalize a national traceability platform aligned with EUDR requirements.", "for": "traceability platform" }, { "text": "alongside a growing share of natural processed coffee beans.", "for": "naturals in 2025/26" }, { "text": "Post revised the MY 2025/26 domestic consumption estimate upward from 3.70 million bags to 4.50 million bags.", "for": "domestic consumption 2025/26" }, { "text": "country's current 143,000 hectares of commercial coffee farms,", "for": "commercial farms" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s5", "title": "Ethiopia: Coffee Annual (ET2025-0014)", "authors": "USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Global Agricultural Information Network", "year": 2025, "publisher": "United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service (Addis Ababa)", "url": "https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=Coffee+Annual_Addis+Ababa_Ethiopia_ET2025-0014.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Government report by USDA staff at the Addis Ababa post, dated 3 June 2025. The 450,000 ha of renewal are attributed by the report to ECTA.", "quote": "with nearly half of its annual production consumed locally.", "quotes": [ { "text": "elevations between 1,500 and over 2,200 meters, and favorable rainfall patterns.", "for": "altitude of main growing areas" }, { "text": "coffee quality, marketing, and export standards.", "for": "role of ECTA" }, { "text": "allowing exporters to bypass ECX and purchase coffee directly from producers.", "for": "vertical integration 2021" }, { "text": "ECTA report indicates that more than 450,000 hectares of land have been rejuvenated", "for": "renewal" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s6", "title": "Ethiopia: Coffee Annual (ET2021-0013)", "authors": "USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Global Agricultural Information Network", "year": 2021, "publisher": "United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service", "url": "https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/ethiopia-coffee-annual-6", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Government report by USDA staff at the Addis Ababa post, dated 14 May 2021. The summary page gives the consumption share; the washed and unwashed shares were read in the full report, in a copy on the Indian government’s APEDA portal (agriexchange.apeda.gov.in, Coffee_Annual_Addis_Ababa_Ethiopia_05-15-2021.pdf).", "quote": "50-55% of Ethiopia's production is consumed domestically.", "quotes": [ { "text": "Ethiopian coffee is currently 70-80% unwashed or sun-dried, and 20-30% washed coffee.", "for": "washed and unwashed shares" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s7", "title": "Ethiopia: Coffee Annual (2018), GAIN report ET1820", "year": 2018, "publisher": "USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, GAIN report", "url": "https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/report/downloadreportbyfilename?filename=Coffee+Annual_Addis+Ababa_Ethiopia_5-24-2018.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Report dated 24 May 2018; it dates the reform to “last July”, that is July 2017.", "quote": "Commercial farmers and cooperative unions could export directly to foreign buyers prior to this change.", "quotes": [ { "text": "Parliament approved reforms allowing coffee washing stations, coffee mills, and farmers with more than 2 hectares of coffee farms (at least 1MT/HA) to export directly", "for": "2017 reform" }, { "text": "It is grown by over 4 million smallholder farmers", "for": "smallholder farmers 2018" }, { "text": "Nearly 95 percent is cultivated on small plots, generally less than half a hectare.", "for": "small plots 2018" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s8", "title": "From Bean to Cup: A guide to the Ethiopian coffee value chain in the context of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)", "authors": "Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA), with support from the European Forest Institute (EFI)", "year": 2026, "publisher": "European Forest Institute (EFI) and ECTA", "url": "https://efi.int/sites/default/files/2026-07/a-guide-to-the-ethiopian-coffee-value-chain-in-the-context-of-the-eudr.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Guide produced by the national coffee authority (May 2026); A as an official document of a national coffee institute (tier decision of 31 Oct 2026). The shares of the four production systems are stated without an underlying survey or year; they are given as ECTA’s figures.", "quote": "Coffee production in Ethiopia is fragmented into millions of extremely small parcels, typically smaller than 0.5 hectare.", "quotes": [ { "text": "50% Garden coffee", "for": "garden coffee share" }, { "text": "35% Semi-forest coffee", "for": "semi-forest share" }, { "text": "10% Forest coffee", "for": "forest coffee share" }, { "text": "5% Plantation coffee", "for": "plantation share" }, { "text": "Maintains substantial forest structure, usually above 40–60% canopy cover.", "for": "semi-forest canopy" }, { "text": "Canopy cover often exceeds 60%.", "for": "forest coffee canopy" }, { "text": "often with about 20% canopy cover.", "for": "plantation canopy" }, { "text": "Cultivated around homesteads in mixed farming systems.", "for": "garden coffee" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s9", "title": "Resilience potential of the Ethiopian coffee sector under climate change", "authors": "Moat, J.; Williams, J.; Baena, S.; Wilkinson, T.; Gole, T. W.; Challa, Z. K.; Demissew, S.; Davis, A. P.", "year": 2017, "publisher": "Nature Plants 3, 17081", "url": "https://pages.uoregon.edu/chendon/coffee_literature/old_literature/2017%20Nat.%20Plants,%20Ethiopian%20coffee%20and%20climate%20change.pdf", "doi": "10.1038/nplants.2017.81", "tier": "A", "quote": "39–59% of the current growing area could experience climatic changes that are large enough to render them unsuitable for coffee farming, in the absence of significant interventions or major influencing factors.", "quotes": [ { "text": "although coffee is mostly confined to 1,200–2,200 m.", "for": "altitude of coffee" }, { "text": "At least 80% of Ethiopia’s coffee comes from forests, forest-like habitats, or farms with shade (canopy) cover,", "for": "shaded share" }, { "text": "based on four million small-holder farms", "for": "farms" }, { "text": "contributing around one quarter of its total export earnings", "for": "export earnings" }, { "text": "The rainfall pattern east of the Rift Valley is bimodal, and in the west it is unimodal", "for": "rainfall either side of the Rift" }, { "text": "The Rift and South West zones have greater rainfall (1,320–1,690 mm)", "for": "rainfall, Rift and South West" }, { "text": "have the lowest total rainfall at the present time (<1,300 mm),", "for": "rainfall, Harar and South East" }, { "text": "light blue, South West Zone (coffee areas: Wellega, Illubabor, Jimma-Limu, Kaffa, Tepi and Bench Maji);", "for": "coffee zones (Fig. 1)" }, { "text": "dark blue, South East Zone (coffee areas: Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Bale and Central Eastern Highlands);", "for": "coffee zones (Fig. 1)" }, { "text": "dark green, Harar Zone (coffee areas: Arsi, West Hararge and East Hararge).", "for": "coffee zones (Fig. 1)" }, { "text": "light green, Rift Zone (coffee areas: Rift North and Rift South);", "for": "coffee zones (Fig. 1)" }, { "text": "red/pink, North Zone (coffee areas: Amhara and Benishangul Gumuz);", "for": "coffee zones (Fig. 1)" }, { "text": "could see at least a fourfold (>400%) increase in suitable coffee farming area.", "for": "relocation" }, { "text": "A projection with profound implications is the early loss (2010–2039) of almost the entire Bale coffee area", "for": "Bale" }, { "text": "it seems that Harar coffee production will continue to decline unless considerable interventions are made.", "for": "Harar" }, { "text": "In Harar and the South East zones, air temperatures tend to reach a seasonal maxima between January and May,", "for": "temperature maxima" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s10", "title": "Current status of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) genetic resources in Ethiopia: implications for conservation", "authors": "Labouisse, J.-P.; Bellachew, B.; Kotecha, S.; Bertrand, B.", "year": 2008, "publisher": "Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 55(7), 1079–1093", "url": "https://agritrop.cirad.fr/546270", "doi": "10.1007/s10722-008-9361-7", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Only the abstract was consulted (CIRAD Agritrop record).", "quote": "the maximum genetic diversity revealed by DNA-based markers is found in the forest coffees of the south-western highlands", "quotes": [ { "text": "we describe the coffee growing systems (forest coffee, semi-forest coffee, garden coffee and plantation coffee)", "for": "four systems" }, { "text": "the taxonomy of coffee landraces is particularly rich in garden coffee systems located in ancient growing zones such as Harerge in eastern Ethiopia", "for": "Harerge" }, { "text": "with 4,780 accessions spread over 10 research stations located in the main production areas", "for": "JARC genebank" }, { "text": "located in Choche (Limu) with 5,196 accessions conserved", "for": "Choche genebank" } ], "abstractOnly": true, "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s11", "title": "Coffea arabica L.", "authors": "Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew", "year": 2026, "publisher": "Plants of the World Online (World Checklist of Vascular Plants)", "url": "https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:747038-1/general-information", "tier": "A", "quote": "The native range of this species is E. South Sudan, SW. Ethiopia, N. Kenya (Mt. Marsibit).", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s12", "title": "A single polyploidization event at the origin of the tetraploid genome of Coffea arabica is responsible for the extremely low genetic variation in wild and cultivated germplasm", "authors": "Scalabrin, S.; Toniutti, L.; Di Gaspero, G.; et al.; Bertrand, B.", "year": 2020, "publisher": "Scientific Reports 10, 4642", "url": "https://air.uniud.it/retrieve/e27ce0c7-71a6-055e-e053-6605fe0a7873/s41598-020-61216-7.pdf", "doi": "10.1038/s41598-020-61216-7", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Cited only for its background summary of the history of cultivation (introduction), not for its genome results.", "quote": "The prevailing assumption is that coffee seeds were introduced from Ethiopia to Yemen.", "quotes": [ { "text": "During the 15th and 16th centuries, coffee cultivation was developed within Yemen to meet local needs.", "for": "cultivation in Yemen" }, { "text": "in Ethiopia by scientific observers or travelers in the Harar region, Zeghie peninsula, Sidamo, and Welega province.", "for": "long cultivation reported in Ethiopia" } ], "scope": { "claim": "cited", "context": "Introduction of a genome study, summarising earlier historical literature." }, "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s13", "title": "Deciphering early movements and domestication of Coffea arabica through a comprehensive genetic diversity study covering Ethiopia and Yemen", "authors": "Montagnon, C.; Sheibani, F.; Benti, T.; Daniel, D.; Bote, A. D.", "year": 2022, "publisher": "Agronomy 12, 3203", "url": "https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/agronomy/agronomy-12-03203/article_deploy/agronomy-12-03203.pdf", "doi": "10.3390/agronomy12123203", "tier": "A", "quote": "A total of 555 samples were included in the study.", "quotes": [ { "text": "together with its main domestication centers: Yemen and Hararghe region in Ethiopia.", "for": "Hararghe as a domestication centre" }, { "text": "The main historical ports for entry and exit of coffee beans in and from Yemen are indicated: Mocha and Aden.", "for": "Mocha and Aden" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s14", "title": "De saluberrima potione cahue, seu cafe nuncupata discursus", "authors": "Naironi, A. F. (Antonio Fausto Naironi; Faustus Naironus Banesius)", "year": 1671, "publisher": "Typis Michaelis Herculis, Rome (digitised copy, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma, via Internet Archive)", "url": "https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_XqtX_0BdDbwC", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Primary historical source, cited only for its date and place of printing; its content is described in The Ethiopian coffee ceremony.", "quote": "De saluberrima potione cahue, seu cafe nuncupata discursus", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s15", "title": "Review of Ralph S. Hattox, Coffee and Coffeehouses: The Origins of a Social Beverage in the Medieval Near East", "authors": "Keall, E. J.", "publisher": "Book review, UNB Libraries journals (MCR), Royal Ontario Museum reviewer", "url": "https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/download/17767/22217?inline=1", "tier": "B", "tierNote": "Book review of a university-press history (University of Washington Press, 1985); used only, attributed, for the view that the goat story is apocryphal.", "quote": "the universally told stories like the one about the goat nibbling berries and getting frisky are apocryphal", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s16", "title": "Traceability, Value, and Trust in the Coffee Market: A Natural Experiment in Ethiopia", "authors": "Mbakop, L.; Jenkins, G. P.; Leung, L.; Sertoglu, K.", "year": 2023, "publisher": "Agriculture 13(2), 368", "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/2/368", "doi": "10.3390/agriculture13020368", "tier": "A", "quote": "The only exceptions were cooperatives and large estates.", "quotes": [ { "text": "In December 2008, coffee became one of the ECX’s main traded commodities.", "for": "coffee on the ECX" }, { "text": "all coffee trade, with a few exceptions, would have to be conducted through the ECX", "for": "mandatory trading" }, { "text": "individual exporters can now own washing stations", "for": "2017 reform" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s17", "title": "Coffee Marketing and Quality Control Proclamation No. 1051/2017 (FAOLEX record)", "authors": "Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia", "year": 2017, "publisher": "Federal Negarit Gazette No. 43, via FAOLEX / UNEP LEAP", "url": "https://leap.unep.org/en/countries/et/national-legislation/coffee-marketing-and-quality-control-proclamation-no-10512017", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Database record of the law (title, gazette, date, abstract); the full text was not consulted.", "quote": "Coffee exporters shall register to National Bank of Ethiopia and notify to the Authority", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s18", "title": "ECX Unwashed Coffee Contracts", "authors": "Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX)", "publisher": "Ethiopia Commodity Exchange, Addis Ababa", "url": "https://www.ecx.com.et/Pages/downloads/Contracts/Coffee/UNWASHED.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Contract specification of the state-established commodity exchange; A for the origin names and the areas each covers. Undated (pages headed “ECX Contracts”); the current version could not be confirmed. The washed coffee contracts could not be accessed.", "quote": "Sheka zone, Bench maji zone, Mezenger zone, Kaffa zone and S. Omo and Gamo Gofa.", "quotes": [ { "text": "Wenago, Yirgachefee, Kochere, Dale Zuria, A. Wendo, Dale, Chiko, Dara, Shebedino, Amaro, Wensho, and Loko Abaya.", "for": "Sidama B" }, { "text": "Borena, Benssa, Guji, Arbigona and Arroressa.", "for": "Sidama A" }, { "text": "Limmu Seka, Limmu Kossa, Manna, Gomma, Gummay, Seka Chekoressa, Kersa, Shebe and Gera.", "for": "Jimma A" }, { "text": "Bedelle, Loppa, Chorra, Yayu, and Alididu Dedessa.", "for": "Jimma B" }, { "text": "East and West Welega and Kelem.", "for": "Lekempti" }, { "text": "E. Harar, Hirna, Gemechisa, Debesso, Messela, Gewgew and Dire Dawa Zuria.", "for": "Harar A" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s19", "title": "Post Harvest Handling and Processing of Coffee in African Countries, Annex 4: Africa Coffee Producing Countries Profiles", "authors": "Mutua, J.", "year": 2000, "publisher": "FAO (AGSI)", "url": "https://www.fao.org/4/X6939E/X6939e10.htm", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Ethiopia profile with 1999 production and export figures.", "quote": "The local consumption in Ethiopia is about 35 %.", "quotes": [ { "text": "Harvest August/January", "for": "harvest (table row)" }, { "text": "Southwest, south and east of the country", "for": "regions of production" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s20", "title": "Annex 8: Glossary of terms used by the International Coffee Organisation", "authors": "Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations", "publisher": "FAO", "url": "https://www.fao.org/4/x6939e/x6939e14.htm", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "FAO document reproducing ICO definitions; undated. A for the group membership it lists.", "quote": "Countries in this group are: Brazil, Ethiopia and Paraguay", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s21", "title": "Kafa (Man and the Biosphere Programme)", "authors": "UNESCO", "publisher": "UNESCO, World Network of Biosphere Reserves", "url": "https://www.unesco.org/en/mab/kafa", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Official page of the biosphere reserve; A for the year, location, area and coordinates it lists (year shown as “Year of nomination”; the page does not say which point the coordinates mark).", "quote": "is the centre of origin and genetic diversity of wild Coffea arabica", "quotes": [ { "text": "The Kafa Biosphere Reserve is located in the Kafa Zone of Ethiopia.", "for": "location" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s22", "title": "Yayu (Man and the Biosphere Programme)", "authors": "UNESCO", "publisher": "UNESCO, World Network of Biosphere Reserves", "url": "https://www.unesco.org/en/mab/yayu", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Official page of the biosphere reserve; year shown as “Year of nomination”.", "quote": "it contains one of the last remaining fragments of montane rainforest with wild coffee (Coffea arabica) populations", "quotes": [ { "text": "The Yayu Biosphere Reserve lies in the Illubabor Zone of Oromiya Regional State, in south-western Ethiopia.", "for": "location" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s23", "title": "Sheka (Man and the Biosphere Programme)", "authors": "UNESCO", "publisher": "UNESCO, World Network of Biosphere Reserves", "url": "https://www.unesco.org/en/mab/sheka", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Official page of the biosphere reserve; year shown as “Year of nomination”. The page names the Sheka Zone but no region.", "quote": "Native coffee is characteristic of the understorey.", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s24", "title": "The potential for income improvement and biodiversity conservation via specialty coffee in Ethiopia", "authors": "Schuit, P.; Moat, J.; Gole, T. W.; Challa, Z. K.; Torz, J.; Macatonia, S.; Cruz, G.; Davis, A. P.", "year": 2021, "publisher": "PeerJ 9, e10621", "url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7879952/", "doi": "10.7717/peerj.10621", "tier": "A", "quote": "The average yield for the 2017/2018 harvest season was 200 kg per ha", "quotes": [ { "text": "Higher quality coffee from Illubabor is currently sold as generic Limu commodity coffee", "for": "Illubabor sold as Limu" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s25", "title": "A review of three major fungal diseases of Coffea arabica L. in the rainforests of Ethiopia and progress in breeding for resistance in Kenya", "authors": "Hindorf, H.; Omondi, C. O.", "year": 2011, "publisher": "Journal of Advanced Research 2(2), 109–120", "url": "https://doaj.org/article/8284b5d707384e06bb2d2b0bc0630753", "doi": "10.1016/j.jare.2010.08.006", "tier": "A", "quote": "CBD was present mostly in Bonga (40.0%) and Yayu (26.3%), but less frequent in Harenna (18.6%) and Berhane-Kontir (6.0%).", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s26", "title": "Temperature contributes to host specialization of coffee wilt disease (Fusarium xylarioides) on arabica and robusta coffee crops", "authors": "Zhang, X.; Peck, L. D.; Flood, J.; Ryan, M. J.; Barraclough, T. G.", "year": 2023, "publisher": "Scientific Reports 13, 9327", "url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10250448/", "doi": "10.1038/s41598-023-36474-w", "tier": "A", "quote": "The other attacks arabica coffee and is only found in Ethiopia, where it was first observed in 1957.", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s27", "title": "Evaluating lowland coffee genotypes against leaf rust and wilt diseases in southwestern Ethiopia", "authors": "Negesa, H.; Gidisa, G.; Wubshet, Z.; Alemayehu, D.; Belachew, K.; Merga, W.; Beksisa, L.; Merga, D.; Zakir, M.", "year": 2025, "publisher": "Frontiers in Plant Science 16, 1560091", "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1560091/pdf", "doi": "10.3389/fpls.2025.1560091", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Altitude and annual rainfall of the four field sites from Table 1 and the study-area descriptions. Jimma Agricultural Research Center appears only as the authors’ affiliation and the greenhouse site; no coordinates or altitude are given for it. Coordinates are not given for any site.", "quote": "the Teppi Agricultural Research Center, located in the Yeki district, Sheka zone", "quotes": [ { "text": "The study was conducted at the Agaro Agricultural Research Subcenter, which is located in the Gomma district", "for": "Agaro" }, { "text": "Bebeka, situated in the Debub Bench district, Bench Sheko zone", "for": "Bebeka" }, { "text": "Gelesha, located in the Godere district, Majang zone, Gambela Regional State", "for": "Gelesha" } ], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s28", "title": "Ethiopian coffee marketing reforms and smallholder coffee producers: A socio-legal empowerment lens", "authors": "Mas Aparisi, A.", "year": 2021, "publisher": "International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London", "url": "https://www.iied.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/2021-04/12609iied.pdf", "tier": "B", "tierNote": "Research-institute report (NGO); B. Used only, attributed, for statements without numbers.", "quote": "the overwhelming majority of smallholders are not cooperative members", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" } ], "markdown": "## Snapshot\n\nEthiopia is the fifth-largest coffee producer, and the largest in Africa in the tables of the US Department of Agriculture (our reading). USDA puts its 2025/26 crop at 11.56 million bags of 60 kg.1 That is 6.5% of the world total of 178.8 million bags (our calculation).1 Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia and Indonesia produced more that year.1\n\nThe crop has grown fast. USDA counted 8.15 million bags in 2021/22 and forecasts a record 12.1 million for 2026/27, on more area and higher yields.1 USDA attributes the growth to the replacement of over half of the cultivated area with higher-yielding varieties over four years.1 On the 2026/27 forecast, Ethiopia would pass Indonesia, at 11.38 million bags, and become fourth (our reading of the table).1\n\nFAO statistics give a lower figure. For 2024, FAO lists 575,696 t of green coffee, fifth among 78 countries and 5.2% of their total (our calculation).3 FAO imputed this value; it did not come from an official national figure (see Contested).3\n\nEthiopia grows only arabica (*C. arabica*). USDA lists no robusta production for the country.1 Much of the crop stays at home: USDA estimates that Ethiopians drank 4.5 million bags in 2025/26, 38.9% of the crop (our calculation).1 Earlier USDA country reports put the share at 50–55% (2021) and “nearly half” (2025).6,5\n\n## Where coffee grows\n\nArabica is native to south-western Ethiopia. Kew’s Plants of the World Online gives its native range as south-western Ethiopia, eastern South Sudan and Mount Marsabit in northern Kenya.11 How the wild species is distributed is covered in Coffea arabica.\n\nThe main coffee areas lie in the south-west and the south-east, in Oromia and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region, as the regions were named in 2017.9 Production in the north, in Amhara and Benishangul-Gumuz, is modest or minor, according to a 2017 study.9 In that study, coffee was mostly grown at 1,200–2,200 m.9\n\n**The Rift Valley.** The Great Rift Valley divides the coffee land in two. The 2017 study modelled the areas east and west of the Rift separately, because their climates differ.9 It groups the coffee areas into five zones:9\n\n- **South West Zone.** Wellega, Illubabor, Jimma-Limu, Kaffa, Tepi and Bench Maji.9\n- **South East Zone.** Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Bale and the Central Eastern Highlands.9\n- **Harar Zone.** Arsi, West Hararge and East Hararge.9\n- **Rift Zone.** Rift North and Rift South.9\n- **North Zone.** Amhara and Benishangul-Gumuz.9\n\n**Regions.** Oromia grows most of the coffee. In ECTA data averaged over 2023/24–2025/26, Oromia produced 59.5% of the crop.4 South-West Ethiopia followed with 13.7%, Sidama with 12.9% and South Ethiopia with 7.1%.4 The full list is under Coffee by region.\n\n
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Interactive relief map of Ethiopia. Hatched: land at 1,200–2,200 m, where cultivated coffee was mostly found in a 2017 study. Layers: regional shares of production (ECTA data, 2023/24–2025/26 average); the areas named in the ECX contracts for unwashed coffee; UNESCO biosphere reserves with wild coffee; coffee research stations; and places in the history of coffee. Regions formed since 2020 and the contract areas are drawn from zone and woreda boundaries (geoBoundaries) and are approximate. Relief from AWS Terrain Tiles; borders and lakes from Natural Earth.9,4,18,21,22,23,27,12
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Section along 7°N from the Gambela lowlands to the eastern lowlands, across the south-western highlands, the Omo valley, the Rift Valley and the Bale Mountains. Slopes at 1,200–2,200 m, where cultivated coffee was mostly found in a 2017 study, are marked; three research stations near 7°N are placed at their published altitude. Terrain from AWS Terrain Tiles (0.12° means).9,27
\n
\n\n## Climate and harvest\n\nThe Rift also divides the rainfall. East of the Rift, rain falls in two seasons a year; in the west, it falls in one, according to the 2017 study.9 The Rift and South West zones receive the most rain, 1,320–1,690 mm a year.9 The Harar Zone and parts of the South East Zone receive the least, under 1,300 mm.9\n\nIn the Harar and South East zones, air temperatures peak between January and May. That is just before or during the spring rains, when coffee flowers.9\n\nThe main harvest runs from October to December, according to a 2026 USDA report.4 A 2000 FAO country profile gives the harvest season as August to January.19 Harvest calendars lists the FAO months; no source consulted for this entry gives harvest months by region. USDA counts Ethiopia’s crop in a marketing year from October to September.1\n\n## Farms and production systems\n\nEthiopian coffee is a smallholder crop. About 5.9 million farmers grow coffee, according to ECTA as cited by USDA in 2026.4 Smallholders produce 90% of the crop. Their plots average less than half a hectare, often mixed with food crops.4 A 2017 study counted about four million smallholder farms (see Contested).9 Commercial farms cover about 143,000 ha, according to the same USDA report.4\n\nMost coffee grows under trees. At least 80% of Ethiopia’s coffee comes from forests, forest-like habitats or farms with shade cover, according to the 2017 study.9 Research describes four production systems: forest, semi-forest, garden and plantation coffee.10 ECTA gives their shares as follows:8\n\n| System | What it is | Share of production (ECTA guide, May 2026; data year not stated) |\n|---|---|---|\n| Forest coffee | Coffee growing naturally in native montane forest, picked with little intervention; canopy cover often above 60%8 | 10%8 |\n| Semi-forest coffee | Managed forest where producers selectively prune and manage the natural shade trees; usually above 40–60% canopy cover8 | 35%8 |\n| Garden coffee | Grown around homesteads in mixed farming, with fruit trees and other shade species8 | 50%8 |\n| Plantation coffee | Larger estates, state, private or investor-owned; mostly shade-grown, often with about 20% canopy cover8 | 5%8 |\n\nThe guide was published in May 2026 but does not state the year or survey behind these shares, so they may describe an earlier period.8 Shade and agroforestry explains how shade affects coffee in general.\n\n## Varieties\n\nEthiopia’s local landraces and released varieties are described in Ethiopian landraces. Diversity is highest in the forest coffees of the south-western highlands, according to a 2008 review.10 The naming of landraces is particularly rich in garden coffee of old growing areas such as Harerge in the east.10\n\nReplanting has changed many farms. ECTA reports that more than 450,000 ha were rejuvenated and replanted with improved, higher-yielding varieties, according to a 2025 USDA report.5\n\n## Processing\n\nMost Ethiopian coffee is dried in the cherry. In a 2021 USDA report, 70–80% of the coffee was unwashed or sun-dried and 20–30% washed.6 In 2025/26, fewer red cherries reached washing stations, and the share of natural coffee grew.4 How the two methods work is explained in Natural process and Washed process.\n\nThe International Coffee Organization (ICO) sorts arabica coffee into groups; in its glossary as reproduced by FAO, Ethiopia is in the Brazilian Naturals group, with Brazil and Paraguay.20\n\n## History\n\n**Evidence.** The wild plant is native to south-western Ethiopia.11 The usual assumption is that seeds were taken from Ethiopia to Yemen, according to a 2020 genome study.12 Coffee was cultivated in Yemen in the 15th and 16th centuries.12 A 2022 genetic study treats Yemen and the Hararghe region of Ethiopia as the main centres of domestication.13 How the narrow Yemeni stock became the world’s varieties is told in The arabica bottleneck.\n\n**Harar.** Travellers and scientific observers reported coffee domesticated over a long period in the Harar region, the Zege peninsula, Sidamo and Welega, according to the 2020 study.12 The 2008 review calls Harerge an ancient growing zone.10\n\n**Mocha.** The 2022 study names Mocha and Aden as the main historical ports through which coffee entered and left Yemen.13 No source consulted for this entry documents the route by which Ethiopian coffee reached those ports. Early coffee drinking in Arabia is covered in Coffeehouses from Mecca to Europe.\n\n**Legend.** The best-known story is of a goatherd whose goats became lively after eating coffee. A review of a university-press history reports that the book calls such goat stories apocryphal.15 An early printed coffee-discovery story, from Rome in 1671, names no herder and is set in Yemen; it is examined in The Ethiopian coffee ceremony.14 No source consulted for this entry documents a historical goatherd or the name Kaldi.\n\n## Trade and institutions\n\n**The authority.** The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA) regulates and promotes coffee quality, marketing and export standards.5 It sets a minimum export price below which export contracts cannot be registered.4 As of 2026, it is building a national traceability platform for the EU deforestation rules.4 EUDR covers those rules.\n\n**The exchange.** From December 2008, coffee was traded on the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX).16 Nearly all coffee trade then had to pass through the exchange; cooperatives and large estates were the exceptions.16 Commercial farmers and cooperative unions could export directly.7 According to a 2021 policy report, the great majority of smallholders are not members of cooperatives.28\n\n**Reforms.** In July 2017, Parliament let washing stations, mills and farms of more than 2 ha, producing at least 1 t per hectare, export directly without the ECX.7 Proclamation No. 1051/2017 sets the rules for coffee marketing and quality control.17 Since the reform, individual exporters may own washing stations.16 In 2021, ECTA introduced “vertical integration”, which lets exporters buy directly from producers instead of through the ECX.5 As of 2026, farmers with at least 2 ha may export directly, and the ECX is no longer the only trading channel.4 The auction side is covered in Auctions and competitions.\n\n**Trade names.** Ethiopian coffee is sold under regional names. The ECX contracts for unwashed coffee name 11 origins (our count), each a list of zones or districts.18 Sidama B, for example, includes Yirgachefee and Kochere, and Jimma A includes Limmu Seka and Limmu Kossa.18 The full list is under Origin names in the Deep dive. Grades are covered in Green coffee grading.\n\n**Exports.** USDA counts 6.97 million bags exported in 2025/26, almost all as green coffee.1 It lowered its estimate by over 800,000 bags because more coffee than expected was drunk at home.1 Coffee earns around a quarter of Ethiopia’s export income, according to the 2017 study.9\n\n**Coffee at home.** Ethiopians drink a large part of their crop. Estimates of the share differ between sources and years (see Contested).19,6,5,1 How coffee is prepared and eaten is told in The Ethiopian coffee ceremony and Coffee as food in Ethiopia.\n\n
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Share of Ethiopia’s coffee crop drunk at home, by source and year. USDA circular shares are our calculation from its bag counts; the 2025 USDA report’s “nearly half” is not plotted.19,6,1
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\n\n\n\n## Production over time\n\nThe FAO series shows a steep rise. Production was 229,980 t in 2000 and fell to 126,188 t in 2003.2 It passed 400,000 t in 2011 and 500,000 t in 2015.2 The highest value, 590,400 t, was in 2021; the 2024 value is 575,696 t.2\n\n
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Green coffee production of Ethiopia, 2000–2024, in thousand tonnes, from FAO statistics by calendar year. The 2024 value is imputed by FAO.2,3
\n
\n\n| Year | t | Year | t | Year | t |\n|---|---|---|---|---|---|\n| 2000 | 229,9802 | 2009 | 265,4692 | 2018 | 573,9862 |\n| 2001 | 157,1552 | 2010 | 370,5692 | 2019 | 573,5802 |\n| 2002 | 160,0002 | 2011 | 442,2702 | 2020 | 584,7902 |\n| 2003 | 126,1882 | 2012 | 449,7402 | 2021 | 590,4002 |\n| 2004 | 156,1702 | 2013 | 392,0062 | 2022 | 545,5662 |\n| 2005 | 171,6312 | 2014 | 467,8602 | 2023 | 559,4002 |\n| 2006 | 241,4822 | 2015 | 501,2402 | 2024 | 575,6962 |\n| 2007 | 273,4002 | 2016 | 494,8192 | | |\n| 2008 | 260,2392 | 2017 | 549,5312 | | |\n\nThe USDA series runs higher. For 2021/22–2025/26, USDA gives 8.15, 7.30, 9.13, 11.46 and 11.56 million bags.1 In tonnes, 11.56 million bags are about 694,000 t (our calculation), above any FAO value. FAO counts calendar years, USDA marketing years from October to September.3,1 No source consulted for this entry explains the gap.\n\n## Coffee by region\n\nThe regional figures consulted come from ECTA, as published by USDA in 2026. They give each region’s share of production, averaged over the marketing years 2023/24 to 2025/26.4 The region names are those of the source.\n\n| Region | Share of production, 2023/24–2025/26 average |\n|---|---|\n| Oromia | 59.5%4 |\n| South-West Ethiopia | 13.7%4 |\n| Sidama | 12.9%4 |\n| South Ethiopia | 7.1%4 |\n| Central Ethiopia | 3.7%4 |\n| Gambella | 1.5%4 |\n| Amhara | 1.1%4 |\n\nThe seven listed shares add up to 99.5%; the source does not name the rest.4 It gives no area or tonnage by region, and no source consulted gives figures by zone.\n\n
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Share of Ethiopia’s coffee production by region, average of marketing years 2023/24–2025/26, from ECTA data published by USDA.4
\n
\n\n## Origin names\n\nThe ECX contract for unwashed coffee defines each origin by the zones or districts it covers.18 The names follow the spelling of the contract.\n\n| Origin | Areas covered (as listed) |\n|---|---|\n| Jimma A | Limmu Seka, Limmu Kossa, Manna, Gomma, Gummay, Seka Chekoressa, Kersa, Shebe and Gera18 |\n| Jimma B | Bedelle, Loppa, Chorra, Yayu and Alididu Dedessa18 |\n| Sidama A | Borena, Benssa, Guji, Arbigona and Arroressa18 |\n| Sidama B | Wenago, Yirgachefee, Kochere, Dale Zuria, A. Wendo, Dale, Chiko, Dara, Shebedino, Amaro, Wensho and Loko Abaya18 |\n| Sidama C | Kembata & Timbaro, Wellayta, Derashe and W. Arsi (Nonsebo)18 |\n| Harar A | E. Harar, Hirna, Gemechisa, Debesso, Messela, Gewgew and Dire Dawa Zuria18 |\n| Harar B | W. Harar, except Hirna, Gemechisa, Debesso, Messela and Gewgew18 |\n| Harar C | Bale (Berbere and Dolomena)18 |\n| Harar D | E. Arssi Golgolcha18 |\n| Lekempti | East and West Welega and Kelem18 |\n| Forest | Sheka, Bench Maji, Mezenger and Kaffa zones, S. Omo and Gamo Gofa18 |\n\nThe contract consulted carries no date, and the washed coffee contracts could not be accessed.18 Names change between contracts and markets. A 2021 study notes that higher-quality coffee from Illubabor was sold as generic Limu commodity coffee.24\n\n## Wild coffee forests\n\nThree UNESCO biosphere reserves protect forests with wild arabica.\n\n- **Kafa.** In the Kafa Zone; 760,144 ha, with 2010 as its year of nomination.21 UNESCO calls it the centre of origin and genetic diversity of wild *C. arabica*.21\n- **Yayu.** In the Illubabor Zone of Oromia; 167,021 ha, year of nomination 2010.22 It holds one of the last fragments of montane rainforest with wild coffee populations.22\n- **Sheka.** In the Sheka Zone; 238,750 ha, year of nomination 2012. Native coffee is typical of the forest understorey.23\n\nThe 2017 climate study names Kaffa and Yayu as protected areas for coffee. It adds that Yayu has limited long-term potential unless higher land is included in its core area.9 In Yayu, five forest-coffee cooperatives averaged 200 kg of green coffee per hectare in 2017/18 (see Coffee yields).24 The genetic value of these forests is covered in Ethiopian landraces.\n\n## Research stations\n\nThe Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC) keeps a coffee field genebank. As reported in 2008, it held 4,780 accessions at 10 research stations in the main production areas.10 The main genebank of the Institute of Biodiversity Conservation, at Choche (Limu), held 5,196.10 Their history is covered in Ethiopian landraces.\n\nA 2025 study of lowland coffee used four field sites in the south-west.27\n\n| Site | Location | Altitude (m) | Annual rainfall (mm) |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| Agaro Agricultural Research Subcenter | Gomma district, Jimma Zone, Oromia | 1,63027 | 1,61627 |\n| Bebeka | Debub Bench district, Bench Sheko Zone | 1,36827 | 1,74227 |\n| Teppi Agricultural Research Center | Yeki district, Sheka Zone | 1,20027 | 1,55927 |\n| Gelesha | Godere district, Majang Zone, Gambella | 1,00027 | 2,10027 |\n\nThe study gives no coordinates for the sites, and no altitude for JARC itself.27\n\n## Climate risk\n\nA 2017 modelling study projects that 39–59% of the current growing area could become unsuitable for coffee this century without major interventions.9 Moving coffee to new areas, together with forest conservation or re-establishment, could increase the suitable area at least fourfold.9 Most of the gain lies at higher altitudes in the South West Zone.9\n\nThe risk differs by place. The study projects an early loss, in 2010–2039, of almost the whole Bale coffee area and the eastern part of Sidamo.9 It expects Harar coffee production to keep declining unless considerable interventions are made.9 These are model projections, not forecasts by Coffearium. The same study is summarised in Coffea arabica and Ethiopian landraces.\n\n## Diseases\n\nThree fungal diseases are reviewed for Ethiopia’s coffee forests: coffee leaf rust, coffee berry disease and coffee wilt disease.25 In surveys of four montane rainforests, coffee berry disease was found most often in Bonga (40.0%) and Yayu (26.3%).25 The arabica form of coffee wilt disease occurs only in Ethiopia, where it was first seen in 1957.26 Details are in Coffee berry disease and Coffee wilt disease.\n\n## Reference values\n\n| Parameter | Value | Source |\n|---|---|---|\n| Production, USDA | 8.15 (2021/22), 11.46 (2024/25), 11.56 (2025/26), 12.1 forecast (2026/27) million 60-kg bags | USDA1 |\n| Production, FAO | 575,696 t (2024, imputed; ≈9.6 million bags, our calculation) | FAO3 |\n| Share of world output | 6.5% (2025/26, USDA); 5.2% (2024, FAO); our calculation | USDA1, FAO3 |\n| Species | Arabica only | USDA1 |\n| Exports | 6.97 million bags (2025/26); 7.13 million forecast (2026/27) | USDA1 |\n| Domestic consumption | 3.36 (2021/22), 4.5 (2025/26), 5.0 forecast (2026/27) million bags | USDA1 |\n| Domestic share | ≈35% (1999); 50–55% (2021 report); nearly half (2025 report); 41.3% (2021/22), 38.9% (2025/26) and 41.3% (2026/27 forecast) from USDA bag counts, our calculation | FAO19, USDA6,5,1 |\n| Area | 800,000 ha planted, 790,000 ha harvested (2025/26) | USDA4 |\n| Farmers | ≈5.9 million (ECTA, reported 2026); ≈4 million smallholder farms (2017) | USDA4, Moat et al.9 |\n| Smallholder share | 90% of production; plots under 0.5 ha on average | USDA4, ECTA8 |\n| Production systems | Garden 50%, semi-forest 35%, forest 10%, plantation 5% (ECTA guide, May 2026; data year not stated) | ECTA8 |\n| Shaded production | At least 80% from forests, forest-like habitats or shaded farms | Moat et al.9 |\n| Altitude | Mostly 1,200–2,200 m (2017); 1,500 to over 2,200 m (USDA, 2025) | Moat et al.9, USDA5 |\n| Rainfall | Bimodal east of the Rift, unimodal west; 1,320–1,690 mm (Rift, South West), <1,300 mm (Harar, parts of South East) | Moat et al.9 |\n| Harvest | Main harvest October–December; season August–January (2000 profile) | USDA4, FAO19 |\n| Processing | 70–80% unwashed, 20–30% washed (2021 report) | USDA6 |\n| ICO group | Brazilian Naturals | FAO/ICO20 |\n| Largest region | Oromia, 59.5% (2023/24–2025/26 average) | ECTA via USDA4 |\n| Commercial farms | ≈143,000 ha | USDA4 |\n| Area replanted | More than 450,000 ha (ECTA, reported 2025) | USDA5 |\n| Climate risk | 39–59% of growing area at risk; suitable area could grow at least fourfold with relocation | Moat et al.9 |\n| Biosphere reserves with wild coffee | Kafa (2010), Yayu (2010), Sheka (2012) | UNESCO21,22,23 |\n| Export earnings | Around a quarter of the total (2017 study) | Moat et al.9 |\n| ECX coffee trading | From December 2008; direct export widened July 2017 | Mbakop et al.16, USDA7 |\n\n## Open questions\n\n- **Regional and zonal statistics.** The regional shares consulted come from ECTA as published by USDA, without area, tonnage or producer numbers.4 No official agricultural sample survey table by zone was consulted for this entry.\n- **Basis of the system shares.** ECTA gives shares for forest, semi-forest, garden and plantation coffee without a year or survey.8\n- **Crop size.** USDA and FAO differ by more than 100,000 t, and FAO’s 2024 value is imputed.1,3 No source consulted reconciles them.\n- **Current processing shares.** The most recent washed and unwashed shares consulted are from a 2021 report.6 No source consulted gives the number of washing stations.\n- **The route to Mocha.** No source consulted documents how and when Ethiopian coffee reached the Yemeni ports.13\n- **Origin names.** The ECX unwashed contract consulted is undated, and the washed contracts were not consulted.18\n\n## Key studies\n\n
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Moat et al., 2017 – Ethiopian coffee under climate change. Mapped where coffee can grow in Ethiopia, in five coffee zones on both sides of the Rift Valley, and projected suitability to 2099. Up to 59% of the growing area could become unsuitable, while relocation and forest conservation could expand suitable land at least fourfold.

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Nature Plants 3, 17081 · doi:10.1038/nplants.2017.81

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Labouisse et al., 2008 – Ethiopia’s coffee genetic resources. Describes the four growing systems and where genetic diversity is highest. Counts the accessions in Ethiopia’s two main genebanks and reviews the loss of diversity in the field.

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Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 55(7), 1079–1093 · doi:10.1007/s10722-008-9361-7

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Mbakop et al., 2023 – Traceability in Ethiopia. Uses the ECX mandate of 2008 and the reform of 2017 as a natural experiment. After trading through the exchange became mandatory, traceable coffee gained in export price compared with untraceable coffee.

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Agriculture 13(2), 368 · doi:10.3390/agriculture13020368

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Schuit et al., 2021 – Specialty coffee and income in Yayu. Followed five forest-coffee cooperatives in the Yayu biosphere reserve. Yields were about 200 kg of green coffee per hectare in an off-year, and selling into the specialty market could raise household income.

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PeerJ 9, e10621 · doi:10.7717/peerj.10621

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