Coffee origins: how the main producers compare.
Six origins side by side on the figures we have been able to verify: how much each grows, how much of it is Arabica or Robusta, and which marketing year it reports on. Brazil is the volume leader and Vietnam the Robusta leader. Ethiopia is a major Arabica origin, but it is not the biggest.
Six origins, one set of figures.
Every number below comes from the same USDA report, so the origins can be read against each other. By total volume Ethiopia is fourth of these six. By Arabica volume it is third, behind Brazil and Colombia.
| Origin | Total | Arabica | Robusta | USDA marketing year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 71,900 | 47,500 | 24,400 | July to June |
| Vietnam | 32,500 | 1,100 | 31,400 | October to September |
| Colombia | 13,400 | 13,400 | 0 | October to September |
| Ethiopia | 12,100 | 12,100 | 0 | October to September |
| Indonesia | 11,380 | 1,380 | 10,000 | April to March |
| Kenya | 950 | 950 | 0 | October to September |
Source: USDA Coffee: World Markets and Trade, July 2026. Volumes are thousand 60 kg bags for 2026/27. Ratios and shares are our arithmetic from those figures.
What the figures say.
- Volume
- Brazil grows 71,900 thousand bags, about 5.9 times Ethiopia. If one origin has to carry very large volume, the volume figure favours Brazil, and we say so.
- Species
- Vietnam is 97 percent Robusta and Indonesia 88 percent. Ethiopia, Colombia and Kenya are Arabica only in these figures. A Robusta brief is answered by Vietnam, Brazil or Indonesia, not by Ethiopia.
- Arabica
- Ethiopia is third by Arabica volume at 12,100 thousand bags. Brazil leads at 47,500 thousand and Colombia is 13,400 thousand.
- Calendar
- USDA reports Brazil on a July to June year, Indonesia on April to March, and Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya and Vietnam on October to September. That is a reporting year, not a harvest window, and we have not verified harvest months for any of the six.
Cecafe reported Brazil exported 3.9 million bags in September 2026, up 3 percent on 2025. Source: Cecafe.
Compare Ethiopia with each.
Each comparison states where the other origin is stronger first, then where Ethiopia is the better fit. Kaffa Bridge sources Ethiopian coffee only, so we are not neutral. We keep the numbers honest so the comparison is worth reading.
Ethiopia vs Brazil
Brazil produces 71,900 thousand bags in 2026/27 against 12,100 thousand for Ethiopia.
Read the comparisonEthiopia vs Colombia
Colombia produces 13,400 thousand bags in 2026/27 against 12,100 thousand for Ethiopia.
Read the comparisonEthiopia vs Kenya
Kenya produces 950 thousand bags in 2026/27 against 12,100 thousand for Ethiopia.
Read the comparisonEthiopia vs Indonesia
Indonesia produces 11,380 thousand bags in 2026/27 against 12,100 thousand for Ethiopia.
Read the comparisonEthiopia vs Vietnam
Vietnam produces 32,500 thousand bags in 2026/27 against 12,100 thousand for Ethiopia.
Read the comparisonInside Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is not one coffee. The season sheet covers seven named origins, each with its own altitude, process and cup record.
What we have not verified: grade names, washed and natural shares, harvest months and export rules for the other five origins. We do not publish them until they are checked against a primary source.
Choosing an origin?
Tell us the cup, the volume and the timing. If the numbers say another origin fits better, we say so. If Ethiopia fits, we come back with specific lots.
Send your brief
Tell us the shape of it and we reply with something specific. No commitment.
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