{ "id": "colombia", "url": "https://coffearium.org/entries/colombia/", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "title": "Colombia", "summary": "The third-largest coffee producer and an arabica-only origin, grown on the slopes of three Andean ranges, harvested at different times from north to south and organised since 1927 around the national coffee growers’ federation.", "domain": "origin", "kind": "Region", "stage": "farm", "topics": [], "topicSections": {}, "lang": "en", "status": "verified", "reviewer": "Coffearium verification pass", "lastVerified": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z", "literatureSearched": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z", "updated": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z", "added": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z", "brief": [ "Colombia was the third-largest producer in 2025/26, with 12.5 of the world’s 178.8 million 60-kg bags, all arabica, by the count of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).1", "Coffee grows between 1° and 11°N on the three Andean ranges and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, at 800–2,000 m in a 2015 Cenicafé study.8", "The south harvests mainly in the first half of the year, the north in the second; the centre has two harvests, a main crop and the mitaca.9", "About 540,000 families grow coffee on about 840,000 ha (2026); in FNC figures of January 2017, 96% of producers were smallholders with 1.3 ha on average.7,6", "In 2025, 88% of the coffee area was planted with rust-resistant varieties, according to the national coffee growers’ federation (FNC).4" ], "quickFacts": [ { "label": "Production (USDA)", "value": "12.5 million 60-kg bags (2025/26); 13.4 million forecast (2026/27)" }, { "label": "Production (FNC)", "value": "14.9 million bags (coffee year 2024/25); 13.7 million (calendar year 2025)" }, { "label": "Share of world output", "value": "7.0% (USDA, 2025/26) · 7.5% (FAO, 2024), our calculation" }, { "label": "Species", "value": "Arabica only" }, { "label": "Latitude", "value": "1–11°N (2015 Cenicafé study)" }, { "label": "Altitude", "value": "800–2,000 m (2015 study); 400–2,500 m in the protected geographical indication" }, { "label": "Producers", "value": "About 540,000 families on about 840,000 ha (2026)" }, { "label": "Resistant varieties", "value": "88% of the planted area (FNC, 2025)" }, { "label": "Harvest", "value": "First half of the year in the south, second half in the north, two harvests in the centre" }, { "label": "Protected name", "value": "Café de Colombia, protected geographical indication (EU 2007, Switzerland 2013)" } ], "aka": [ "Colombian coffee", "Café de Colombia" ], "linkTerms": [ "Colombian coffee", "Eje Cafetero", "Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia", "mitaca" ], "related": [ "the-coffee-belt", "harvest-calendars", "arabica-varieties", "coffee-leaf-rust", "the-timor-hybrid", "washed-process", "green-coffee-grading", "differentials", "coffee-yields", "coffee-production-by-country", "coffee-berry-borer", "shade-and-agroforestry", "switzerland-and-the-coffee-trade" ], "contested": [ "Altitude of the coffee zone: a 2015 Cenicafé study gives 800–2,000 m8; a 2018 Cenicafé technical bulletin gives about 1,000 m in the north to 2,000 m in the south9; the specification of the protected geographical indication allows 400–2,500 m.11 The first two describe where coffee is grown, the third the legal limits of the name.", "Months of the two harvests in central Colombia: a 1999 Cenicafé bulletin based on six experiment stations has the main harvest from August to December and the mitaca from March to May10; Harvest calendars cites a 2025 USDA report with October–December and April–June. The bulletin measured harvests at stations; the USDA report describes national peaks.", "Size of the crop: USDA gives 14.8 million bags for marketing year 2024/25 (October–September)1, the FNC 14.9 million for coffee year 2024/255, and FAO 839,847 t for calendar year 2024, which is 14.0 million bags (our calculation).3 The datasets use different years and methods.", "Yield per hectare: the FNC reports 22.27 bags of green coffee per hectare for 2024/255; FAO statistics give 1,003 kg/ha (about 16.7 bags) for 2024 (see Coffee yields). Neither source consulted here states which area it divides by.", "First exports: according to the FNC, the first bags were exported through the Cúcuta customs house in 183523; a history published by Colombia’s central bank states that coffee had been exported in small quantities since 1830 and earlier.22" ], "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": "Colombia values from the Coffee Summary tables (Arabica Production, Production, Bean Exports, Exports, Domestic Consumption), thousand 60-kg bags, marketing years 2024/25–2026/27; Colombia is not listed in the Robusta Production table; its marketing year (October–September) from the table Marketing Years for Producing Countries. Shares are our calculation.", "quote": "Colombia is lowered 1.3 million bags to 12.5 million due to excessive rain and cloud cover that lowered yields.", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "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 (data updated 25 Feb 2026). Values for Colombia, calendar years 2000–2024, read on 30 Oct 2026 from the chart’s CSV download; the 2024 value (839,846.7 t) matches the site’s FAOSTAT extract.", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "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; Colombia 839,846.69 t, flag A). Rank, sum and share are our calculation.", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s4", "title": "Informe de Gestión 2025", "authors": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "year": 2026, "publisher": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC)", "url": "https://federaciondecafeteros.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Informe-de-gestio%CC%81n-2025_FNC.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "National coffee institute; A for its statistics (calendar year 2025), B for anything else.", "quote": "En 2025, la producción nacional fue 13,7 millones de sacos de 60 kg de café verde, 2,3% menos que en 2024", "quotes": [ { "text": "con 88% del área sembrada con variedades resistentes y 82% como caficultura joven", "for": "resistant varieties and young coffee, 2025" }, { "text": "Se exportaron 13,14 millones de sacos de 60 kg, 6,6% más que un año atrás.", "for": "exports 2025" }, { "text": "el consumo de café en Colombia fue de 2,28 millones de sacos, 2,8% más que el año anterior.", "for": "domestic consumption 2025" }, { "text": "6,3 años es la edad promedio, la menor registrada.", "for": "average age of plantations" }, { "text": "se reportaron 93.608 ha renovadas y con nuevas siembras, 4,7% más que en 2024", "for": "renovation 2025" }, { "text": "La productividad alcanzó 21,03 sacos de café verde/ha", "for": "productivity 2025" }, { "text": "condiciones oceánicas en fase de La Niña en el Pacífico tropical", "for": "La Niña in 2025" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s5", "title": "Informe del Gerente General 2025", "authors": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "year": 2025, "publisher": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia; report to the 94th Congreso Nacional de Cafeteros", "url": "https://publicaciones.cenicafe.org/index.php/infgerente/article/download/4929/5197/3923", "doi": "10.38141/10801/2025", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "National coffee institute; A for its statistics (coffee year 2024/25), B for anything else.", "quote": "la producción nacional alcanzó 14,9 millones de sacos de 60 kg de café verde, 16,5% más vs. 2023/24", "quotes": [ { "text": "se exportaron 13,3 millones de sacos de 60 kg, 12,5% más que el año anterior", "for": "exports 2024/25" }, { "text": "con 87,8% del área sembrada con variedades resistentes", "for": "resistant varieties 2024/25" }, { "text": "22,27 sacos de café verde/hectárea en el año cafetero 2024/25", "for": "productivity 2024/25" }, { "text": "La garantía de compra ha significado para los productores un precio de compra promedio de $2.926.716 por carga", "for": "purchase guarantee" }, { "text": "el consumo de café en Colombia fue de 2,26 millones de sacos, 2,2% más que en 2023/24", "for": "domestic consumption 2024/25" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s6", "title": "FNC en cifras; Estado de la caficultura, enero 2017", "authors": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia, Oficina de Prensa", "year": 2017, "publisher": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "url": "https://federaciondecafeteros.org/static/files/FNCCIFRAS2017.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "National coffee institute; A for its statistics (figures published January 2017; the statistics lines carry no date of their own). The variety figures carry no unit in the source; they add up to about the stated coffee area (our calculation).", "quote": "96% de los productores son pequeños y en promedio tienen 1,3 hectáreas.", "quotes": [ { "text": "931.746 hectáreas en café.", "for": "coffee area (Jan 2017)" }, { "text": "555.692 familias cafeteras.", "for": "coffee families (Jan 2017)" }, { "text": "22 de los 32 departamentos del país son cafeteros.", "for": "coffee departments" }, { "text": "74% Variedad Resistente Roya – CBD", "for": "resistant share January 2017" }, { "text": "205.000 Caturra - 22%", "for": "Caturra area January 2017" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s7", "title": "Os impactos climáticos sobre a cafeicultura colombiana e seus reflexos nas oportunidades para o incremento das exportações de café brasileiro ao parceiro sul-americano", "authors": "Serafini, C. A. V. (agricultural attaché, Bogotá)", "year": 2026, "publisher": "Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (Brazil), Secretaria de Comércio e Relações Internacionais, AgroInsight 5 (2026)", "url": "https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/relacoes-internacionais/adidos-agricolas/colombia/COLMBIAOSIMPACTOSCLIMTICOSSOBREACAFEICULTURACOLOMBIANAESEUSREFLEXOSNASOPORTUNIDADESPARAOINCREMENTODASEXPORTAESDECAFBRASILEIROAOPARCEIROSULAMERICANO.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Government report of the Brazilian agricultural attaché in Bogotá, dated 13 May 2026.", "quote": "envolvendo diretamente cerca de 540 mil famílias distribuídas em aproximadamente 840 mil hectares cultivados", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s8", "title": "Factores de producción que influyen en la respuesta de genotipos de Coffea arabica L. bajo diversas condiciones ambientales de Colombia", "authors": "García L., J. C.; Posada S., H. E.; Salazar V., F. A.", "year": 2015, "publisher": "Revista Cenicafé 66(2), 30–57", "url": "https://www.cenicafe.org/es/publications/3.Factores.pdf", "tier": "A", "quote": "entre los 800 y 2.000 m de altitud", "quotes": [ { "text": "entre 1º y 11º de latitud Norte", "for": "latitude of the coffee zone" }, { "text": "entre las tres cordilleras Andinas (Occidental, Central y Oriental", "for": "three cordilleras" }, { "text": "explica la existencia de dos épocas secas y dos húmedas en el año", "for": "two dry and two wet seasons" }, { "text": "la distribución monomodal de las lluvias hace que se concentre la cosecha", "for": "single harvest where rain is monomodal" }, { "text": "sus extremos (13oC, inferior y 32oC, superior) anulan el proceso de crecimiento y producción", "for": "temperature extremes" }, { "text": "Ubicación geográfica de las Estaciones Experimentales donde se realizaron las evaluaciones de interacción genotipo por ambiente entre los años 2000 y 2009.", "for": "Table 2, nine experiment stations (department, municipality, altitude, latitude, longitude)" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s9", "title": "Retención de pases: una opción para mejorar la productividad de la mano de obra en la cosecha de café (Avance Técnico 488)", "authors": "Sanz Uribe, J. R.; Oliveros Tascón, C. E.; Duque Orrego, H.; Mejía Mejía, C. G.; Benavides Machado, P.; Medina Rivera, R. D.", "year": 2018, "publisher": "Cenicafé (Colombian Coffee Research Centre)", "url": "https://biblioteca.cenicafe.org/bitstream/10778/4218/1/AVT0488.pdf", "tier": "A", "quote": "con caficultura desde los 1.000 m de altitud en la zona Norte hasta 2.000 m en la zona Sur", "quotes": [ { "text": "zona Sur entre 1° y 3° de latitud Norte, zona Central Sur entre 3° y 5°", "for": "latitude bands of the harvest zones" }, { "text": "en la zona Sur prevalece la cosecha principal en el primer semestre del año", "for": "south harvest" }, { "text": "en la zona Central Sur ocurren dos cosechas en los dos semestres del año", "for": "central-south harvests" }, { "text": "en la zona Central Norte es característico que la cosecha del segundo semestre sea mayor", "for": "central-north harvests" }, { "text": "la zona Norte se caracteriza por tener una sola cosecha concentrada en el segundo semestre", "for": "north harvest" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s10", "title": "¿Cómo se distribuye anualmente la cosecha de las variedades Caturra y Colombia? (Avance Técnico 260)", "authors": "Alvarado-Alvarado, G.; Moreno-Ruiz, G.", "year": 1999, "publisher": "Cenicafé (Colombian Coffee Research Centre)", "url": "https://biblioteca.cenicafe.org/bitstream/10778/4172/3/avt0260.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "The PDF text layer has encoding faults in accented letters; quotes are given with correct accents.", "quote": "La principal se inicia en agosto, se incrementa a partir de septiembre y decae notoriamente en diciembre.", "quotes": [ { "text": "La traviesa se recolecta normalmente entre marzo y mayo.", "for": "mitaca months" }, { "text": "Naranjal Chinchiná Caldas 04º 59í 75º 39í 1400 Cordillera central", "for": "Table 1, six stations with municipality, department, coordinates and altitude (row shown as printed, encoding faults included)" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s11", "title": "Cahier des charges pour Café de Colombia", "authors": "Office fédéral de l’agriculture (OFAG/BLW)", "year": 2013, "publisher": "Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture, register of protected designations of origin and geographical indications", "url": "https://www.blw.admin.ch/dam/fr/sd-web/v9bugsz0Ep7J/Caf%C3%A9%20de%20Colombia%20Cahier%20des%20charges.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Official specification of the protected geographical indication in Switzerland (decision of 28 January 2013); A for what it defines and requires.", "quote": "à une altitude comprise entre 400 à 2500 mètres audessus du niveau de la mer", "quotes": [ { "text": "entre 1°00’ à 11°15’ de latitude nord et 72°00’ à 78°00’ de longitude ouest", "for": "geographical area" }, { "text": "élaboré uniquement à partir de grains de café de l’espèce arabica", "for": "arabica only" }, { "text": "la variété anciennement connue sous le nom de Colombie et qui a été remplacée par la variété Castillo", "for": "Colombia replaced by Castillo" }, { "text": "La récolte du fruit a lieu 210 à 224 jours après la floraison", "for": "flowering to harvest" }, { "text": "selon la décision du 28 janvier 2013 de l’office fédéral de l’agriculture", "for": "Swiss registration" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s12", "title": "Commission Regulation (EC) No 1050/2007 of 12 September 2007 registering certain names in the Register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (… Café de Colombia (PGI) …)", "authors": "European Commission", "year": 2007, "publisher": "Official Journal of the European Union", "url": "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32007R1050", "tier": "A", "quote": "Commission Regulation (EC) No 1050/2007 of 12 September 2007 registering certain names", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s13", "title": "Decision 35 COM 8B.43: Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia (Colombia)", "authors": "UNESCO World Heritage Committee", "year": 2011, "publisher": "UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 35th session", "url": "https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4314", "tier": "A", "quote": "Inscribes the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, Colombia, on the World Heritage List", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s14", "title": "Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia (World Heritage List 1121)", "authors": "UNESCO World Heritage Centre", "year": 2011, "publisher": "UNESCO", "url": "https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1121", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Official description of the listed property; A for what the listing describes.", "quote": "The Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia (CCLC) is a continuing productive landscape consisting of a series of six sites", "quotes": [ { "text": "The six site components of the CCLC are located in what is known as the Eje Cafetero", "for": "Eje Cafetero" }, { "text": "the Governors of Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda and Valle or their delegates", "for": "four departments" }, { "text": "The CCLC is the result of the adaptation process of Antioquian settlers, who arrived in the 19th century", "for": "Antioquian settlers" }, { "text": "traditional small plot coffee farming, often run in family units", "for": "small family farms" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s15", "title": "Cenicafé 1: nueva variedad de porte bajo, altamente productiva, resistente a la roya y al CBD, con mayor calidad física del grano (Avance Técnico 469)", "authors": "Flórez R., C. P.; Maldonado L., C. E.; Cortina G., H. A.; Moncada B., M. P.; Montoya R., E. C.; Ibarra R., L. N.; Unigarro M., C. A.; Rendón S., J. R.", "year": 2016, "publisher": "Cenicafé (Colombian Coffee Research Centre)", "url": "https://biblioteca.cenicafe.org/bitstream/10778/4178/1/AVT0469.pdf", "tier": "A", "quote": "provenientes del cruzamiento entre la variedad Caturra y el Híbrido de Timor 1343", "quotes": [ { "text": "en 1980 Cenicafé entregó la variedad Colombia", "for": "Colombia variety 1980" }, { "text": "en el año 2005 se liberó la Variedad Castillo®", "for": "Castillo 2005" }, { "text": "resistencia a la roya del cafeto y a la enfermedad de las cerezas del café-CBD", "for": "rust and CBD resistance" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s16", "title": "Razas de roya y epidemias de 2008 a 2011 (Avance Técnico 425)", "authors": "Cristancho A., M. A.; Rozo, Y.; Escobar, C.; Rivillas O., C. A.; Gaitán B., Á. L.", "year": 2012, "publisher": "Cenicafé (Colombian Coffee Research Centre)", "url": "https://biblioteca.cenicafe.org/jspui/bitstream/10778/353/1/avt0425.pdf", "tier": "A", "quote": "En Colombia se reportó por primera vez en 1983, en el departamento de Caldas", "quotes": [ { "text": "La razón principal para las epidemias de 2008 a 2011 fue el cambio en las condiciones climáticas", "for": "cause of the epidemic" }, { "text": "es responsable de pérdidas hasta del 30% en variedades susceptibles de la especie Coffea arabica", "for": "losses in susceptible varieties" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s17", "title": "The coffee rust crises in Colombia and Central America (2008–2013): impacts, plausible causes and proposed solutions", "authors": "Avelino, J.; Cristancho, M.; Georgiou, S.; Imbach, P.; Aguilar, L.; Bornemann, G.; Läderach, P.; Anzueto, F.; Hruska, A. J.; Morales, C.; et al.", "year": 2015, "publisher": "Food Security 7, 303–321", "url": "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12571-015-0446-9", "doi": "10.1007/s12571-015-0446-9", "tier": "A", "quote": "In Colombia, production decreased by 31 % on average for the years 2008 to 2011 compared with 2007.", "quotes": [ { "text": "In Colombia, La Niña conditions prevailed during the period 2008–2011.", "for": "La Niña" }, { "text": "coffee located above 1600 masl was unusually affected by the epidemics experienced in Colombia", "for": "high-altitude rust" }, { "text": "Colombia now has more than 60 % of its coffee fields planted with resistant varieties", "for": "resistant share after renovation" }, { "text": "over 300 000 ha of the 600 000 ha planted with susceptible cultivars have been replaced", "for": "renovation programme" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s18", "title": "Projected Shifts in Coffea arabica Suitability among Major Global Producing Regions Due to Climate Change", "authors": "Ovalle-Rivera, O.; Läderach, P.; Bunn, C.; Obersteiner, M.; Schroth, G.", "year": 2015, "publisher": "PLoS ONE 10(4), e0124155", "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC4397088", "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0124155", "tier": "A", "quote": "Peru, Colombia and Ecuador, however, will gain some suitable areas at higher elevations.", "quotes": [ { "text": "Areas below 1800 masl in all three countries would become less suitable.", "for": "loss below 1,800 m" }, { "text": "Overall, the Andes countries would lose 16–20% of the current area suitable for Arabica coffee while Brazil would lose 25%.", "for": "Andean loss by 2050" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s19", "title": "Ecological Processing of Coffee at the Farm Level: An Ecological and Profitable Case", "authors": "Roa, G.; Oliveros, C. E.; Álvarez, J.; Sanz, J. R.; Ramírez, C. A.; Dávila, M. T.; Álvarez, J. R.; Zambrano, D. A.; Puerta, G. I.; Rodríguez, N.", "publisher": "Cenicafé (Colombian Coffee Research Centre)", "url": "https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hawaii/downloads/Low_Water_use_processing.pdf", "tier": "A", "quote": "The conventional process of the coffee might use 40 liters of water per kilogram of dry parchment coffee", "quotes": [ { "text": "With the equipment DESLIM the consumption of water was of less than 1.0 l/kg of PDC", "for": "water use with DESLIM" }, { "text": "to control more than 90% of the potential contamination.", "for": "contamination control" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s20", "title": "Resolución No. 5 de 2002 (normas de calidad del café verde para exportación)", "authors": "Comité Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "year": 2002, "publisher": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "url": "https://federaciondecafeteros.org/static/files/RESOL5-2002.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Official export quality regulation of Colombia's national coffee body; A for the requirements it sets", "quote": "Hasta setenta y dos (72) granos defectuosos por quinientos (500) gramos de muestra", "quotes": [ { "text": "No debe sobrepasar del doce (12) por ciento (%), medida en equipos basados en la constante dieléctrica del café", "for": "moisture limit" }, { "text": "retenido por encima de malla catorce (14), con tolerancia del uno punto cinco (1.5) por ciento (%) inferior a esa malla", "for": "Excelso screen" }, { "text": "debiendo estar libre de sabores defectuosos como fermento, producto químico, moho", "for": "cup requirement" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s21", "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: Colombia, Kenya and Tanzania", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s22", "title": "Episodios de la historia de la agricultura en Colombia", "authors": "Junguito Bonnet, R.; Caballero Argáez, C.; Perfetti del Corral, J. J.; et al.", "publisher": "Banco de la República (Colombia), institutional repository", "url": "https://repositorio.banrep.gov.co/bitstreams/4c22b68a-e0a5-4220-841d-4e75ae3b7096/download", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Historical essays by economists, published by Colombia’s central bank; government publication, Tier A (owner ruling, 31 Oct 2026). Year not stated in the text consulted.", "quote": "tuvo lugar en Medellín el 1.º de julio de 1927", "quotes": [ { "text": "se creó el 22 de noviembre de 1940", "for": "Fondo Nacional del Café" }, { "text": "estableció la garantía de compra del café pergamino a los cultivadores", "for": "purchase guarantee" }, { "text": "desde 1830 y aún en años anteriores se había exportado en pequeñas cantidades", "for": "early exports" }, { "text": "el 80 % de las totales del país", "for": "coffee share of exports in the 1950s" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s23", "title": "The history of Colombian coffee", "authors": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "publisher": "Café de Colombia (FNC)", "url": "https://cafedecolombia.com/the-history-of-colombian-coffee/?lang=en", "tier": "B", "tierNote": "National coffee institute; history narrative, so Tier B. The 1835 date of the first exports from Cúcuta rests on FNC sources only; kept, attributed to the FNC and listed as contested, by owner decision (31 Oct 2026).", "quote": "Coffee in Colombia has about 300 years of history since the Jesuits brought it to the country in the 18th century.", "quotes": [ { "text": "When his parishioners confessed, the priest imposed on them sowing coffee as a penance in order to redeem their sins.", "for": "Romero story" }, { "text": "In 1835, the first bags produced in the eastern zone were exported from Cucuta's customs office.", "for": "first exports" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s24", "title": "El Ferrocarril de Cúcuta: la grandeza de una élite liberal", "authors": "Pabón Serrano, Y. F.", "year": 2013, "publisher": "Revista Temas (Universidad Santo Tomás, Bucaramanga), 189–201", "url": "https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/5894309.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Peer-reviewed history article (received May 2013, accepted June 2013); the year of the issue is not printed in the text consulted.", "quote": "se había empezado la producción de café desde 1820", "quotes": [ { "text": "esta región producía el 79% del café nacional", "for": "Norte de Santander share in 1874" }, { "text": "desde aquí avanzó hacia las tierras del sur por la cordillera, donde lo acogieron Caldas y Antioquia", "for": "spread south" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s25", "title": "Entorno natural en las haciendas jesuitas del valle de Cúcuta. Virreinato de la Nueva Granada (1750–1830)", "authors": "Gómez Mantilla, D. Y.", "year": 2019, "publisher": "Cambios y Permanencias 10(1), 435–482", "url": "https://revistas.uis.edu.co/index.php/revistacyp/article/download/9714/9807/", "tier": "A", "quote": "la economía estaba concentrada en el cultivo del cacao, producto que sustentaba la economía en la región", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s26", "title": "Norte de Santander", "authors": "Comité Departamental de Cafeteros de Norte de Santander", "publisher": "In: Atlas cafetero de Colombia, Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia, 192–203", "url": "https://publicaciones.cenicafe.org/index.php/atl/article/download/3001/2989/2714", "tier": "B", "tierNote": "National coffee institute; history narrative, so Tier B. Same institution as source 23, so not independent of it. Data dated to late 2017; year of the atlas not printed in the text consulted.", "quote": "llegó al municipio de Salazar de las Palmas, donde halló pequeñas siembras de café.", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s27", "title": "Café: área sembrada, área cosechada, producción y rendimiento del cultivo de café según departamento, 2016–2017", "authors": "Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (MADR), Agronet; data from the FNC Sistema de Información Cafetera (SICA)", "publisher": "Agronet, Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural de Colombia", "url": "https://www.agronet.gov.co/Documents/1-CAFÉ_2017.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Government statistics sheet on the agriculture ministry’s Agronet portal; area from SICA (FNC), municipal production calculated by MADR-EVA. Values from the department table, year 2017: area planted (área sembrada, ha), area harvested (ha) and production (t of green coffee). The sheet lists 22 departments; Córdoba and Arauca are not listed. Year of publication not printed. Column sums match the printed totals within 3 ha (our check).", "quote": "ÁREA SEMBRADA, ÁREA COSECHADA, PRODUCCIÓN Y RENDIMIENTO DEL CULTIVO DE CAFÉ SEGÚN DEPARTAMENTO 2016-2017", "quotes": [ { "text": "Fuente: SICA - Federación Nacional de Cafeteros (producción nacional, área sembrada y área productiva a nivel municipal).", "for": "data source" }, { "text": "Cálculos producción municipal MADR-EVA.", "for": "production by department" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s28", "title": "Listado de Denominaciones de Origen de la Comunidad Andina (primera edición)", "authors": "Secretaría General de la Comunidad Andina", "year": 2024, "publisher": "Comunidad Andina, Lima", "url": "https://api.comunidadandina.org/uploads/LISTADO_DENOMINACIONES_DE_ORIGEN_CAN_07025d1e91.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Intergovernmental register of the Andean Community (August 2024); A for the declaration acts it lists (SIC resolution numbers and dates).", "quote": "Resolución SIC N° 06093 del 11 de febrero de 2011", "quotes": [ { "text": "Resolución SIC N° 41788 del 10 de agosto de 2011", "for": "Café de Cauca" }, { "text": "Resolución SIC N° 017989 del 16 de abril de 2013", "for": "Café del Huila" }, { "text": "Resolución SIC N° 00050042 del 25 de agosto de 2014", "for": "Café de Santander" }, { "text": "Resolución SIC N° 2484 del 30 de enero de 2017", "for": "Café de La Sierra Nevada" }, { "text": "Resolución SIC N° 2458 del 30 de enero de 2017", "for": "Café de Tolima" }, { "text": "Resolución SIC N° 4819 del 04 de marzo de 2005", "for": "Café de Colombia" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s29", "title": "Reglamento de uso de la Denominación de Origen Café de Nariño", "authors": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "year": 2012, "publisher": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "url": "https://cafedecolombia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Reglamento-de-Uso-DO-Cafe-de-Narino-DIAGRAMADO.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Official rules of use of the designation, administered by the FNC (national coffee institute; A for official documents). Area defined in numeral 1.20. Year from the copyright line (© FNC 2012). The list names 37 places in Nariño as written (including “Los Andes, Soto” as two entries) and three municipalities in Cauca; no total is stated, so none is given.", "quote": "y que además se encuentra entre los 1300 y los 2300 metros sobre el nivel del mar,", "quotes": [ { "text": "colombiano de NARIÑO y en tres municipios del departamento del CAUCA, Mercaderes, Bolívar y Florencia,", "for": "departments covered" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s30", "title": "Reglamento de uso de la Denominación de Origen Café del Huila", "authors": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "year": 2013, "publisher": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "url": "https://cafedecolombia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2013-09-04-Reglamento-de-Uso-DO-Cafe-del-Huila-DIAGRAMADO.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Official rules of use of the designation, administered by the FNC (national coffee institute; A for official documents), dated 4 September 2013 in the file name. Area defined in numeral 1.20; the 35 municipalities are our count of the list.", "quote": "entre 1000 y 2200 metros sobre el nivel del mar (msnm)", "quotes": [ { "text": "1° 33' y 3° 42' de latitud norte, y los 74° 26' y 76° 35' de longitud oeste", "for": "coordinates of the area" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s31", "title": "Reglamento de uso de la Denominación de Origen Café de Santander", "authors": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "year": 2014, "publisher": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "url": "https://cafedecolombia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Reglamento-de-Uso-DO-Cafe-de-Santander_compressed.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Official rules of use of the designation, administered by the FNC (national coffee institute; A for official documents). Year from the copyright line (© FNC 2014). Area defined in numeral 1.20; the 69 municipalities are our count of the list. The coordinates printed there (with “latitud sur” and “longitud este”) appear inconsistent and are not used.", "quote": "el rango de altura entre 900 y 2300 metros sobre el nivel del mar (msnm)", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s32", "title": "Reglamento de uso de la Denominación de Origen Café de Tolima", "authors": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "year": 2015, "publisher": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "url": "https://cafedecolombia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2015-11-06-Reglamento-de-Uso-DO-Cafe-de-Tolima.pdf", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Official rules of use of the designation, administered by the FNC (national coffee institute; A for official documents), dated 6 November 2015 in the file name. Area defined in numeral 1.20; the 38 municipalities are our count of the list. No altitude limits are given; the text refers to the application.", "quote": "en los rangos de altitud descritos en el Pliego de Solicitud.", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s33", "title": "Regional denomination of origin", "authors": "Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia", "publisher": "Café de Colombia (FNC)", "url": "https://cafedecolombia.com/regional-denomination-of-origin/?lang=en", "tier": "B", "tierNote": "National coffee institute; web page, not an official document, so Tier B. Used only for the departments of Café de la Sierra Nevada, attributed to the FNC; its count of municipalities is not used.", "quote": "located in the departments of Magdalena, Guajira and Cesar", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s34", "title": "Rice from the Meseta of Ibagué and Coffee from Santander now protected in the European Union", "authors": "Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC)", "year": 2021, "publisher": "Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio, Colombia", "url": "https://sedeelectronica.sic.gov.co/international-relations/rice-meseta-ibague-and-coffee-santander-now-protected-european-union", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Government agency that declares denominations of origin in Colombia; news page of 10 May 2021. A for the list of Colombian names it reports as protected in the EU.", "quote": "\"Coffee from Santander\" obtained protection in the European Union under the Trade Agreement", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s35", "title": "Commission Decision (EU) 2018/1733 of 14 November 2018 approving, on behalf of the European Union, the modification of Appendix 1 to Annex XIII to the Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, of the other part", "authors": "European Commission", "year": 2018, "publisher": "European Union (CELEX 32018D1733); read through the Lexaris mirror of EU law", "url": "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32018D1733", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "EU legal act, Tier A; EUR-Lex could not be accessed, so the text was read on a mirror. Adds Café de Nariño, Café de Cauca and Café del Huila (product class: coffee) to the geographical indications protected under the agreement. These are not PDO or PGI registrations under EU Regulation 1151/2012.", "quote": "On 5 October 2018, the Sub-Committee on Intellectual Property assessed", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s36", "title": "Commission Decision (EU) 2020/1301 of 17 September 2020 approving, on behalf of the European Union, the modification of Appendix 1 to Annex XIII to the Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, of the other part", "authors": "European Commission", "year": 2020, "publisher": "European Union (CELEX 32020D1301); read through the Lexaris mirror of EU law", "url": "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32020D1301", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "EU legal act, Tier A; EUR-Lex could not be accessed, so the text was read on a mirror. Adds Café de Santander (product class: coffee) to the geographical indications protected under the agreement.", "quote": "Appendix 1 to Annex XIII to the Agreement should therefore be modified.", "quotes": [], "accessed": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s37", "title": "Generalidades del volcán Nevado del Ruiz", "authors": "Servicio Geológico Colombiano", "publisher": "Servicio Geológico Colombiano (SGC)", "url": "https://www2.sgc.gov.co/sgc/volcanes/VolcanNevadoRuiz/Paginas/generalidades-volcan-nevado-ruiz.aspx", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Government geological survey; undated web page.", "quote": "Altura: 5321 msnm", "quotes": [ { "text": "Latitud: 4° 53 43 N", "for": "latitude" }, { "text": "Longitud: 75° 19 21 O", "for": "longitude" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "id": "s38", "title": "Generalidades del volcán Nevado del Huila", "authors": "Servicio Geológico Colombiano", "publisher": "Servicio Geológico Colombiano (SGC)", "url": "https://www2.sgc.gov.co/sgc/volcanes/VolcanNevadoHuila/Paginas/generalidades.aspx", "tier": "A", "tierNote": "Government geological survey; undated web page. Altitude of the Pico Central.", "quote": "5 364 m s.n.m.", "quotes": [ { "text": "2° 55' N", "for": "latitude" }, { "text": "76° 03' W", "for": "longitude" } ], "accessed": "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z" } ], "markdown": "## Snapshot\n\nColombia is the third-largest coffee producer. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) puts its 2025/26 crop at 12.5 million bags of 60 kg.1 That is 7.0% of the world total of 178.8 million bags (our calculation).1 Only Brazil and Vietnam produce more.1\n\nThe crop was smaller than usual. USDA lowered it by 1.3 million bags because excessive rain and cloud cover reduced yields.1 For 2026/27, USDA forecasts 13.4 million bags.1 In the statistics of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Colombia was also third in 2024, with 839,847 t of green coffee. That is 7.5% of the 78 countries’ total (our calculation).3\n\nColombia grows only arabica (*C. arabica*). USDA lists no robusta production for the country.1 The protected name “Café de Colombia” may be given only to coffee of the arabica species.11\n\n## Where coffee grows\n\nCoffee is grown in the Andes, between 1° and 11°N. A 2015 study by Cenicafé, the national coffee research centre, places the coffee zone on the three Andean ranges – the Western, Central and Eastern Cordilleras – and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.8 The same study gives an altitude of 800–2,000 m.8\n\nAltitude rises towards the equator. A 2018 Cenicafé bulletin describes coffee from about 1,000 m in the north up to 2,000 m in the south.9 This matches the rule that coffee grows higher near the equator (see The coffee belt). The legal area of the protected name is wider: 400–2,500 m, from 1°00′ to 11°15′N.11\n\nCoffee is grown in most of the country. In FNC figures of January 2017, 22 of Colombia’s 32 departments (provinces) grew coffee, according to the national coffee growers’ federation (FNC).6 The Swiss specification of the protected name lists 23 departments, from Nariño in the south to La Guajira in the north.11\n\nThe highest summits of the Central Cordillera rise far above the coffee zone. Nevado del Huila reaches 5,364 m and Nevado del Ruiz 5,321 m, according to the Colombian Geological Survey (SGC).38,37\n\n
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Interactive map of the coffee zone on the three Cordilleras and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 1–11°N, at 800–2,000 m (2015 Cenicafé study). Layers: the four harvest zones by latitude (Cenicafé 2018) with their harvest by half-year; coffee area by department in 2017; the six regional denominations of origin; places in the history of coffee; and Cenicafé experiment stations. Departments not listed for the protected name are shaded. Relief from AWS Terrain Tiles; borders from Natural Earth.8,9,11,27,28,13,23
\n
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Section along 5°N from the Pacific to the eastern plains. The coffee zone of the 2015 Cenicafé study, 800–2,000 m, is marked on the slopes on both sides of the Cauca and Magdalena valleys. Three Cenicafé stations near 5°N are placed at their published altitude. Terrain from AWS Terrain Tiles (0.1° means).8
\n
\n\n**Eje Cafetero.** The Coffee Cultural Landscape lies in the foothills of the Western and Central Cordilleras.14 In 2011, UNESCO inscribed the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia on the World Heritage List.13 It is made of six sites in the Eje Cafetero.14 Its management names the departments of Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda and Valle.14 UNESCO describes small family coffee plots on steep slopes, shaped by settlers from Antioquia who arrived in the 19th century.14\n\n## Climate and harvest\n\nThe coffee zone sits near the equator. A 2015 Cenicafé study states that the rainfall pattern there gives two dry and two wet seasons a year.8 The two wet seasons lead to two harvest periods.8 Where rain falls in one season only, the harvest is concentrated in one period.8\n\nThe timing changes from south to north. A 2018 Cenicafé bulletin divides the coffee zone into four bands of latitude:9\n\n- **South (1–3°N).** The main harvest falls in the first half of the year; Cenicafé’s map class for the zone pairs it with a mitaca in the second half.9\n- **Central south (3–5°N).** Two harvests, one in each half of the year.9\n- **Central north (5–7°N).** Two harvests; the second half of the year brings the larger one.9\n- **North (7–10°N).** One harvest, concentrated in the second half of the year.9\n\nThe smaller of two harvests is called the mitaca, or *traviesa*.9,10 At six Cenicafé stations in the central region, the main harvest began in August, grew from September and fell sharply in December. The *traviesa* was picked between March and May.10 Harvest calendars gives the national peaks reported by USDA, which differ (see Contested).\n\nThe six stations lie between 4°23′ and 5°58′N, at 1,250–1,600 m. They are in Antioquia, Caldas, Cundinamarca, Quindío, Risaralda and Tolima.10 A 2015 Cenicafé study used them and three more stations, from El Tambo in Cauca to Pueblo Bello in Cesar (see Experiment stations).8\n\nThe specification of the protected name gives 210–224 days from flowering to picking.11 It notes that several harvests a year are possible on the same tree.11\n\n## Farms and people\n\nColombian coffee is a smallholder crop. About 540,000 families grow coffee on about 840,000 ha, according to a 2026 report of the Brazilian agriculture ministry.7 In figures of January 2017, the FNC counted 555,692 coffee families on 931,746 ha.6 It described 96% of producers as small, with 1.3 ha on average.6\n\nA few departments hold most of the coffee. In 2017 statistics of the agriculture ministry, Huila had 147,805 ha planted, Antioquia 123,257 ha and Tolima 112,867 ha.27 Antioquia produced the most green coffee that year, 140,399 t, ahead of Huila with 133,788 t.27 All 22 departments in that table are listed under Coffee by department.\n\nYields have risen with replanting. The FNC reports 22.27 bags of green coffee per hectare in coffee year 2024/25, and 21.03 bags in 2025.5,4 FAO statistics give a lower figure for 2024 (see Coffee yields and Contested).\n\nThe plantations are young. In 2025, the average age of the plantations was 6.3 years, the lowest on record, according to the FNC.4 That year 93,608 ha were renewed or newly planted.4\n\n## Varieties\n\nMost Colombian coffee is planted with rust-resistant varieties.4 Coffee leaf rust, a fungal disease, was first reported in Colombia in 1983, in Caldas.16 Cenicafé released the resistant variety Colombia in 1980 and Castillo in 2005.15 Cenicafé 1, described by Cenicafé in 2016, comes from a cross of Caturra with the Timor Hybrid 1343. It resists rust and coffee berry disease.15\n\nThe specification of the protected name lists Caturra, Típica, Bourbon, Maragogype, San Bernardo and Tabi as main varieties. It notes that Castillo has replaced the variety Colombia.11\n\nThe share of resistant varieties has grown. In January 2017, 74% of the area was planted with varieties resistant to rust and coffee berry disease, and 26% with susceptible ones.6 By 2025 the resistant share was 88%.4\n\n
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Share of Colombia’s coffee area planted with rust-resistant varieties, as reported by the FNC: January 2017, coffee year 2024/25 and calendar year 2025.6,5,4
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\n\n## Processing\n\nCoffee sold as Café de Colombia is washed: the fruit is removed and the mucilage fermented and washed off before drying. The specification of the protected name describes wet processing, with fermentation usually lasting 12–18 h.11 Sun drying is slow and at low temperature; mechanical dryers may not exceed 55 °C.11 The cherries are to be picked one by one, mainly by hand.11\n\nCenicafé has developed ecological wet milling. Conventional washing can use about 40 litres of water per kilogram of dry parchment coffee.19 With the DESLIM demucilager, water use fell to under 1 litre per kilogram.19 The method aims to control more than 90% of the potential pollution.19 How washing works in general is explained in Washed process.\n\n## History\n\n**Legend and evidence.** According to the FNC, Jesuits brought coffee to Colombia in the 18th century.23 The FNC also tells a story of a priest in Salazar de las Palmas, in today’s Norte de Santander.23,26 He is said to have imposed coffee planting on his parishioners as a penance; the FNC calls this a legend.23 An FNC regional atlas names the priest as Francisco Romero and states that he found small coffee plantings already there when he arrived.26 No source consulted for this entry documents the story with a primary record.\n\nThe documented history begins in the north-east, near Cúcuta. A 2013 history article states that coffee production in Norte de Santander had begun by 1820.24 According to the FNC, the first bags were exported from the Cúcuta customs house in 1835.23 A central-bank history has small exports from 1830 or earlier (see Contested).22 In 1874, the region produced 79% of Colombia’s coffee.24\n\n**Moving south.** From Norte de Santander, coffee spread south along the cordillera to Antioquia and Caldas.24 Settlers from Antioquia then moved south.22,14 By the 1950s, coffee made up 80% of Colombia’s exports, according to a central-bank history.22\n\n**The federation.** The FNC was founded in Medellín on 1 July 1927.22,23 The National Coffee Fund (Fondo Nacional del Café), which the FNC administers, was created on 22 November 1940.22\n\n## Trade and institutions\n\n**Purchase guarantee.** From its early years, the FNC has guaranteed to buy parchment coffee from producers.22 From January to September 2025, the guarantee paid an average of COP 2,926,716 per *carga*.5\n\n**Exports.** Colombia exported 13.3 million bags of 60 kg in coffee year 2024/25 and 13.14 million in 2025.5,4 USDA counts 12.8 million bags in 2025/26, of which 11.7 million green coffee, the rest roasted and soluble.1\n\n**Quality rules.** The National Coffee Committee sets the quality of green coffee for export. Excelso must be retained above screen 14, with a tolerance of 1.5% below it.20 A 500 g sample may hold up to 72 defective beans, and moisture may not exceed 12% (basis not stated).20 The coffee must be free of off-flavours such as ferment, chemical taste or mould.20 The full grades are in Green coffee grading.\n\n**Colombian Milds.** The International Coffee Organization (ICO) groups arabica prices by type. Its Colombian Milds group is made up of Colombia, Kenya and Tanzania.21 How this group’s premium moves is shown in Differentials.\n\n**Coffee at home.** Colombians drank 2.28 million bags of coffee in 2025, according to the FNC.4 After the small 2025/26 crop, USDA estimates that Colombia imported 2.2 million bags to keep up domestic consumption.1\n\n**Café de Colombia.** In 2007, the European Union registered “Café de Colombia” as a protected geographical indication (PGI).12 Switzerland followed by a decision of its Federal Office for Agriculture of 28 January 2013.11 The specification ties the name to arabica, the defined area and altitude, and wet processing.11\n\n**Regional denominations.** The Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) declares denominations of origin in Colombia. Besides Café de Colombia (2005), it has declared six regional ones for coffee.28 They are Café de Nariño and Café de Cauca (2011), Café del Huila (2013), Café de Santander (2014), and Café de Tolima and Café de La Sierra Nevada (2017).28 Their rules of use set narrower altitude bands than the national name: 1,300–2,300 m in Nariño, 1,000–2,200 m in Huila and 900–2,300 m in Santander.29,30,31 The European Union approved adding Nariño, Cauca and Huila to the names protected under its trade agreement with Colombia, Ecuador and Peru in 2018, and Santander in 2020.35,36 The SIC reported Café de Santander protected in May 2021.34 They are protected through the agreement, not registered as a PGI like Café de Colombia.35,36,12\n\n\n\n## Production over time\n\nThe FAO series shows how weather and disease move the Colombian crop. Production was 757,080 t in 2007 and fell to 468,720 t in 2009.2 It stayed below 540,000 t until 2012 and passed 800,000 t in 2015.2 A second fall, to 560,340 t, came in 2021.2 The 2024 value, 839,847 t, is the third-highest of the series since 2000.2\n\n
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Green coffee production of Colombia, 2000–2024, in thousand tonnes, from FAO statistics by calendar year. The 2008–2012 dip coincides with the rust epidemic of 2008–2011.2,17
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\n\n| Year | t | Year | t | Year | t |\n|---|---|---|---|---|---|\n| 2000 | 637,1402 | 2009 | 468,7202 | 2018 | 813,4202 |\n| 2001 | 656,1602 | 2010 | 535,3802 | 2019 | 885,1202 |\n| 2002 | 696,8402 | 2011 | 468,5402 | 2020 | 833,4002 |\n| 2003 | 694,0802 | 2012 | 462,0002 | 2021 | 560,3402 |\n| 2004 | 674,4002 | 2013 | 653,1602 | 2022 | 665,0162 |\n| 2005 | 667,1402 | 2014 | 728,4002 | 2023 | 680,8582 |\n| 2006 | 724,7402 | 2015 | 827,7502 | 2024 | 839,8472 |\n| 2007 | 757,0802 | 2016 | 818,2432 | | |\n| 2008 | 688,6802 | 2017 | 851,6402 | | |\n\nNational and international bodies count the crop differently. USDA uses a marketing year from October to September.1 The FNC reports both coffee years and calendar years.5,4 FAO uses calendar years.3\n\n
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Colombia’s coffee crop in million 60-kg bags as counted by USDA (marketing years, October–September) and by the FNC (coffee year 2024/25 and calendar year 2025); FAO’s 2024 value converted to bags (our calculation).1,5,4,3
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\n\n## Coffee by department\n\nThe most recent department table consulted comes from the agriculture ministry’s Agronet portal. It gives area planted, area harvested and production of green coffee for 2017, with area from the FNC’s coffee information system (SICA) and municipal production calculated by the ministry.27 Its national total of 851,640 t equals the FAO value for 2017.27,2 Its planted area, 903,951 ha, is lower than the 931,746 ha in the FNC figures of January 2017; the two refer to different dates.27,6\n\n| Department | Area planted, 2017 (ha) | Area harvested, 2017 (ha) | Production, 2017 (t green coffee) | Share of production (our calculation) |\n|---|---|---|---|---|\n| Huila | 147,80527 | 122,57627 | 133,78827 | 15.7% |\n| Antioquia | 123,25727 | 99,31227 | 140,39927 | 16.5% |\n| Tolima | 112,86727 | 96,01927 | 94,55727 | 11.1% |\n| Cauca | 93,30227 | 80,29027 | 97,92227 | 11.5% |\n| Caldas | 68,96927 | 51,85527 | 68,66827 | 8.1% |\n| Valle del Cauca | 61,11327 | 51,47127 | 51,68827 | 6.1% |\n| Santander | 50,15827 | 42,32727 | 54,90927 | 6.4% |\n| Risaralda | 48,51727 | 37,33427 | 46,78027 | 5.5% |\n| Nariño | 38,17027 | 33,64027 | 35,00427 | 4.1% |\n| Cundinamarca | 35,42527 | 30,89427 | 33,94327 | 4.0% |\n| Cesar | 28,03327 | 25,15927 | 16,62827 | 2.0% |\n| Norte de Santander | 23,98627 | 21,41027 | 23,40927 | 2.7% |\n| Quindío | 23,75527 | 17,70027 | 18,79227 | 2.2% |\n| Magdalena | 20,17027 | 18,13027 | 11,93827 | 1.4% |\n| Boyacá | 10,56827 | 9,59827 | 7,63927 | 0.9% |\n| La Guajira | 5,86227 | 5,34127 | 3,51727 | 0.4% |\n| Caquetá | 4,05327 | 3,40927 | 5,10827 | 0.6% |\n| Meta | 3,40127 | 2,92727 | 4,01327 | 0.5% |\n| Casanare | 2,91627 | 2,43727 | 1,74827 | 0.2% |\n| Bolívar | 1,23127 | 1,13727 | 74927 | 0.1% |\n| Putumayo | 22527 | 20927 | 28227 | <0.1% |\n| Chocó | 17027 | 12627 | 15927 | <0.1% |\n| Colombia | 903,95127 | 753,29827 | 851,64027 | 100% |\n\nCórdoba and Arauca, both listed in the specification of the protected name, do not appear in the table. Bolívar appears in the table but not in that specification.27,11 The table gives no numbers of producers by department.27\n\n## Regional denominations of origin\n\nEach regional denomination has its own rules of use, administered by the FNC. Where they define the area, they do so by a list of municipalities and an altitude band.29,30,31,32 The Nariño area also takes in three municipalities of Cauca: Mercaderes, Bolívar and Florencia.29\n\n| Denomination | SIC resolution | Area | Altitude | EU |\n|---|---|---|---|---|\n| Café de Nariño | No. 06093, 11 February 201128 | Nariño and three municipalities of Cauca29 | 1,300–2,300 m29 | Addition approved by the EU, 201835 |\n| Café de Cauca | No. 41788, 10 August 201128 | Rules of use not consulted | Not consulted | Addition approved by the EU, 201835 |\n| Café del Huila | No. 017989, 16 April 201328 | 35 municipalities of Huila (our count)30 | 1,000–2,200 m30 | Addition approved by the EU, 201835 |\n| Café de Santander | No. 00050042, 25 August 201428 | 69 municipalities of Santander (our count)31 | 900–2,300 m31 | Addition approved by the EU, 202036,34 |\n| Café de Tolima | No. 2458, 30 January 201728 | 38 municipalities of Tolima (our count)32 | Not stated in the rules of use32 | Not found |\n| Café de La Sierra Nevada | No. 2484, 30 January 201728 | Magdalena, La Guajira and Cesar, according to the FNC33 | Not consulted | Not found |\n\nThe Huila rules of use place the area between 1°33′ and 3°42′N.30 The Tolima rules give no altitude band of their own; they refer to the application filed with the SIC.32\n\n## Experiment stations\n\nCenicafé’s harvest and variety studies draw on its network of experiment stations. A 2015 Cenicafé study gives the location of nine of them.8 The 1999 bulletin on harvest months used the six stations of the central region, with altitudes rounded to 1,250–1,600 m.10\n\n| Station | Municipality, department | Latitude | Longitude | Altitude (m) |\n|---|---|---|---|---|\n| Pueblo Bello | Pueblo Bello, Cesar | 10°25′N8 | 73°34′W8 | 1,1348 |\n| Santander | Floridablanca, Santander | 7°06′N8 | 73°04′W8 | 1,5398 |\n| El Rosario | Venecia, Antioquia | 5°58′N8 | 75°42′W8 | 1,6358 |\n| Naranjal | Chinchiná, Caldas | 4°58′N8 | 75°39′W8 | 1,3818 |\n| Santa Bárbara | Sasaima, Cundinamarca | 4°56′N8 | 74°25′W8 | 1,4788 |\n| La Trinidad | Líbano, Tolima | 4°54′N8 | 75°02′W8 | 1,4538 |\n| La Catalina | Pereira, Risaralda | 4°45′N8 | 75°44′W8 | 1,3218 |\n| Paraguaicito | Buenavista, Quindío | 4°24′N8 | 75°44′W8 | 1,2038 |\n| El Tambo | El Tambo, Cauca | 2°24′N8 | 76°44′W8 | 1,7358 |\n\nNeither source gives annual rainfall for the stations.8,10 The 1999 bulletin gives slightly different positions and altitudes for the same six stations, for example 1,600 m for El Rosario and 1,400 m for Naranjal.10\n\n## The rust epidemic of 2008–2011\n\nA 2015 review dates it to 2008–2011 in Colombia.17 Production fell by 31% on average in those years, compared with 2007.17 The same review covers the epidemics in Central America up to 2013; Coffee leaf rust treats both together.\n\n**Weather.** La Niña conditions prevailed in Colombia from 2008 to 2011.17 Cenicafé names the change in climatic conditions under La Niña as the main reason for the epidemics.16 Coffee above 1,600 m, where rust had been accepted as no problem, was unusually affected.17\n\n**Damage.** In susceptible varieties without control, rust causes losses of up to 30%, according to Cenicafé.16 In 2012, Cenicafé noted that the varieties Colombia and Castillo still showed high resistance in the field.16\n\n**Renovation.** The response was replanting. By the time of the 2015 review, more than 300,000 of 600,000 ha of susceptible coffee had been replaced, mainly with Castillo.17 More than 60% of the fields were then planted with resistant varieties.17 The FNC reports 74% in January 2017, 87.8% in 2024/25 and 88% in 2025.6,5,4\n\nHow the 2008/09 shortfall moved the price premium for Colombian coffee is covered in Differentials.\n\n## Climate risk and projections\n\nColombian coffee depends on the rainfall pattern of the Andes. Temperature extremes of 13 °C and 32 °C stop growth and production, according to a 2015 Cenicafé study.8 Potential production varies with El Niño, La Niña and neutral years.8 The rust epidemic followed La Niña17, and La Niña conditions returned in 2025.4 In 2025/26, excessive rain and cloud cover lowered yields.1\n\nA 2015 modelling study projected arabica suitability to the 2050s. For Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, areas below 1,800 m become less suitable.18 The three countries gain some suitable areas at higher elevations.18 Overall, the Andean countries lose 16–20% of their current suitable area, against 25% in Brazil.18\n\nThese are model projections, not forecasts by Coffearium. Global projections for the whole belt are in The coffee belt.\n\n## Reference values\n\n| Parameter | Value | Source |\n|---|---|---|\n| Production, USDA | 14.8 (2024/25), 12.5 (2025/26), 13.4 forecast (2026/27) million 60-kg bags | USDA1 |\n| Production, FNC | 14.9 million bags (coffee year 2024/25); 13.7 million (calendar year 2025) | FNC5,4 |\n| Production, FAO | 839,847 t (2024; ≈14.0 million bags, our calculation) | FAO3 |\n| Share of world output | 7.0% (2025/26, USDA); 7.5% (2024, FAO); our calculation | USDA1, FAO3 |\n| Species | Arabica only | USDA1, OFAG11 |\n| Exports | 13.3 million bags (2024/25); 13.14 million (2025); 12.8 million, of which 11.7 million green (USDA, 2025/26) | FNC5,4, USDA1 |\n| Domestic consumption | 2.26 million bags (2024/25); 2.28 million (2025) | FNC5,4 |\n| Imports | 2.2 million bags (2025/26) | USDA1 |\n| Area | ≈840,000 ha (2026); 931,746 ha (FNC, Jan 2017) | MAPA7, FNC6 |\n| Producers | ≈540,000 families (2026); 555,692 families (FNC, Jan 2017) | MAPA7, FNC6 |\n| Smallholders, average area | 96% of producers small; 1.3 ha average (FNC, Jan 2017) | FNC6 |\n| Coffee departments | 22 of 32 (FNC, Jan 2017); 23 listed in the PGI specification | FNC6, OFAG11 |\n| Latitude | 1–11°N; PGI area 1°00′–11°15′N, 72°00′–78°00′W | Cenicafé8, OFAG11 |\n| Altitude band | 800–2,000 m; ≈1,000 m (north) to 2,000 m (south); PGI 400–2,500 m | Cenicafé8,9, OFAG11 |\n| Harvest, south (1–3°N) | Main harvest in the first half of the year; mitaca in the second (map class) | Cenicafé9 |\n| Harvest, central south (3–5°N) | Two harvests, one in each half of the year | Cenicafé9 |\n| Harvest, central north (5–7°N) | Two harvests, larger in the second half | Cenicafé9 |\n| Harvest, north (7–10°N) | One harvest, second half of the year | Cenicafé9 |\n| Harvest months, central region (six stations) | Main: August–December; mitaca: March–May | Cenicafé10 |\n| Flowering to harvest | 210–224 days | OFAG11 |\n| Yield | 22.27 bags/ha (2024/25); 21.03 bags/ha (2025) | FNC5,4 |\n| Resistant varieties | 74% (Jan 2017); 87.8% (2024/25); 88% (2025) | FNC6,5,4 |\n| Average tree age | 6.3 years (2025) | FNC4 |\n| Rust epidemic | 2008–2011; production −31% on average against 2007 | Avelino et al. 201517 |\n| Export grade, Excelso | Above screen 14, tolerance 1.5% below | FNC Resolution 5/200220 |\n| Export defects | ≤ 72 defective beans per 500 g | FNC Resolution 5/200220 |\n| Export moisture | ≤ 12% (basis not stated; dielectric meter) | FNC Resolution 5/200220 |\n| Fermentation (PGI) | Usually 12–18 h | OFAG11 |\n| Drying (PGI) | ≤ 55 °C | OFAG11 |\n| Protected name | EU PGI 2007; Switzerland 2013 | EU12, OFAG11 |\n| World Heritage | Coffee Cultural Landscape, inscribed 2011 | UNESCO13 |\n| Largest departments by area (2017) | Huila 147,805 ha; Antioquia 123,257 ha; Tolima 112,867 ha | MADR-Agronet27 |\n| Regional denominations of origin | Six, declared by the SIC 2011–2017 | CAN list28 |\n| Regional denominations under the EU trade agreement | Addition to the trade agreement approved by the EU: Nariño, Cauca, Huila (2018); Santander (2020) | EU35,36 |\n\n## Open questions\n\n- **Current farm structure.** The most recent farm-size figures consulted for this entry are FNC figures published in January 2017.6 No source consulted gives the 2025 share of smallholders or the average farm size.\n- **Variety shares.** The FNC’s 2017 figures give Caturra 22% of the area, and areas for Castillo, Colombia and Típica without a unit.6 No source consulted gives current shares of Castillo, Cenicafé 1 or Tabi.\n- **The Jesuit story.** The FNC credits Jesuits with bringing coffee in the 18th century.23 A 2019 study of Jesuit estates in the Cúcuta valley, 1750–1830, describes an economy concentrated on cacao.25 No document consulted for this entry records Jesuit coffee in Colombia.\n- **Harvest months by zone.** Cenicafé’s zoning gives halves of the year, not months.9 Months were measured for the central region only.10\n- **Yield statistics.** FNC and FAO yields differ by about a third; no source consulted reconciles them.\n- **Departmental figures.** The most recent department table consulted is for 2017 and gives no producer numbers.27 No source consulted gives current area, producers or production by department.\n- **Regional denominations.** The rules of use of Café de Cauca and Café de La Sierra Nevada were not consulted for this entry, so their areas and altitude bands are not given here.\n\n## Key studies\n\n
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Avelino et al., 2015 – The rust crises in Colombia and Central America. Quantifies the production losses of the 2008–2013 epidemics and traces them to low profitability and weather. In Colombia, production fell by 31% on average in 2008–2011 against 2007, under La Niña conditions, and over half the susceptible area was replanted.

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Food Security 7, 303–321 · doi:10.1007/s12571-015-0446-9

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Ovalle-Rivera et al., 2015 – Shifts in arabica suitability. Modelled where arabica can grow in the main producing regions under 2050s climates. In the Andes, land below 1,800 m loses suitability while some higher land gains; the Andean countries lose 16–20% of their suitable area.

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PLoS ONE 10(4), e0124155 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0124155

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García et al., 2015 – Arabica genotypes across Colombian environments. Tested arabica genotypes at several Cenicafé stations in a coffee zone it places at 1–11°N and 800–2,000 m. The study describes how the two wet seasons set two harvest periods and how El Niño, La Niña and neutral years shaped potential production.

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Revista Cenicafé 66(2), 30–57 · cenicafe.org

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Sanz Uribe et al., 2018 – Harvest zones and picking. A Cenicafé bulletin on harvest labour that maps when coffee is picked across Colombia. It divides the coffee zone into four bands of latitude, from a first-half harvest in the south to a single second-half harvest in the north.

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Avance Técnico 488, Cenicafé · biblioteca.cenicafe.org

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