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Origin · Country profile

Guatemala

A mostly arabica origin of smallholders and estates on the volcanic and limestone highlands of Guatemala, harvested from late November to March, with the national coffee association Anacafé in charge of export permits and statistics.

Across the chain: History

Source-checked· Last source-checked 3 Nov 2026· Prepared with AI assistance· 23 sources (19 tier A)· 3 contested· Updated 3 Nov 2026· Literature last searched 3 Nov 2026
Reading depth
Contents
  • Guatemala produced 3.16 million bags of 60 kg in 2025/26, 96% of them arabica (our calculation), by the count of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).1
  • The national coffee association (Anacafé) represents more than 125,000 coffee growers; 97% produce on small units and grow 50% of the national volume.6
  • Anacafé describes eight coffee regions, from Cobán at 1,311–1,707 m to Huehuetenango at 1,524–1,981 m (our conversion from feet).7
  • In 2012/13 leaf rust affected 193,200 ha of 276,000 ha, an incidence of 70%, according to figures the International Coffee Organization (ICO) took from PROMECAFÉ.12
  • Café Antigua is protected in the EU, registered as a protected geographical indication (PGI) by a regulation of 8 October 2026, and in the United Kingdom.17,18

Snapshot#

Guatemala grows mostly arabica (C. arabica) and a little robusta (C. canephora).5 The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) puts the 2025/26 crop at 3.16 million bags of 60 kg.1 That is 1.76% of the world total of 178.8 million bags (our calculation).1 USDA lowered its 2025/26 estimate by nearly 400,000 bags because of lower yields from coffee berry borer and leaf rust.1

In the statistics of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Guatemala produced 224,860 t of green coffee in 2024.3 That ranks 11th among 78 countries and is 2.02% of their total (our calculation).3 Its national average yield was 598 kg/ha in 2024.4

Coffee grows in all of Guatemala’s departments, according to the national coffee association, Anacafé.6 Most growers farm small units.5,6

Where coffee grows#

Anacafé reports coffee in all departments and in 261 of the 340 municipalities.6 It describes eight coffee regions: Huehuetenango, Acatenango, Antigua, Atitlán, Cobán, Fraijanes, Nuevo Oriente and San Marcos.7 Its region pages give altitude, rainfall, temperature and humidity, but name no departments.7

Relief map of Guatemala with layers for Anacafé’s eight coffee regions, the geographical indication Café Antigua and places in the history of coffee, and the leaf rust epidemic of 2012MEXICOBELIZEHONDURASEL SALVADORPacific OceanGulf of HondurasGuatemala CityQuetzaltenangoEscuintlaMazatenangoFloresPuerto BarriosZacapaChiquimulaSanta Cruz Del QuicheSalamáJutiapaHuehuetenangoAcatenangoAntiguaAtitlánCobánFraijanesNuevo OrienteSan MarcosCafé AntiguaCosta CucaEl PalmarSouth Coast: heavily affectedHuehuetenango: lightly affectedFirst unusual foci: south and south-east
darker = higher (500, 1,300 and 2,000 m)dashed: department bordersRelief: AWS Terrain Tiles, 0.08° means; borders and towns: Natural Earth; departments: geoBoundaries
Interactive relief map of Guatemala. Layers: Anacafé’s eight coffee regions, marked at their name-giving places (positions approximate) with the altitude, rainfall, temperature and humidity it publishes; the Café Antigua geographical indication and places in the history of coffee; and where the 2012 leaf rust epidemic struck hardest and least. No official production table by department could be accessed.7,16,17,11,13

Altitude. The regions lie between about 1,311 and 1,981 m (source: 4,300–6,500 ft; our conversion).7 Huehuetenango lies highest, at 1,524–1,981 m; Acatenango reaches the same upper limit.7 Cobán and Nuevo Oriente lie at 1,311–1,707 m.7 These are ranges for each region, not limits for every farm.

1200130014001500160017001800190020002100mHuehuetenango1,524–1,981 m (source: 5,000–6,500 ft)7 Acatenango1,311–1,981 m (source: 4,300–6,500 ft)7 Fraijanes1,372–1,829 m (source: 4,500–6,000 ft)7 San Marcos1,311–1,829 m (source: 4,300–6,000 ft)7 Antigua1,524–1,707 m (source: 5,000–5,600 (unit not stated))7 Atitlán1,524–1,707 m (source: 5,000–5,600 ft)7 Cobán1,311–1,707 m (source: 4,300–5,600 ft)7 Nuevo Oriente1,311–1,707 m (source: 4,300–5,600 ft)7
Data table
mSource
Huehuetenango1,524–1,981 m (source: 5,000–6,500 ft)7
Acatenango1,311–1,981 m (source: 4,300–6,500 ft)7
Fraijanes1,372–1,829 m (source: 4,500–6,000 ft)7
San Marcos1,311–1,829 m (source: 4,300–6,000 ft)7
Antigua1,524–1,707 m (source: 5,000–5,600 (unit not stated))7
Atitlán1,524–1,707 m (source: 5,000–5,600 ft)7
Cobán1,311–1,707 m (source: 4,300–5,600 ft)7
Nuevo Oriente1,311–1,707 m (source: 4,300–5,600 ft)7
Altitude ranges of the eight coffee regions as Anacafé publishes them, converted from feet to metres (our conversion). The Antigua range is given without a unit and is read as feet.7

Volcanoes and limestone. Anacafé describes Antigua as a valley surrounded by the volcanoes Agua, Fuego and Acatenango.7 It describes Cobán, in contrast, as cloudy, rainy and cool all year, on limestone and clay soils.7

0 m500 m1,000 m1,500 m2,000 m2,500 m3,000 mRAntigua regionCobán regionSouth CoastEscuintlabetween Agua and FuegoAntigua GuatemalaChimaltenangoCobán0 km25 km50 km75 km100 km125 kmShaded: Anacafé’s altitudes for the Antigua (1,524–1,707 m) and Cobán (1,311–1,707 m) regions, from feet (our conversion) 7 .Dashed: 1,500 m, above which a 2015 model finds Guatemala gaining suitability by the 2050s 21 .R: 400–1,400 m, where leaf rust attacked almost equally in 2012; the South Coast was heavily affected 13 .Bent at the places marked (positions approximate); vertical scale about 20×. Terrain: AWS Terrain Tiles, 0.03° means.
Section from Escuintla on the Pacific slope, between the volcanoes Agua and Fuego, to Antigua Guatemala and Chimaltenango, then across the central highlands to Cobán. Shaded: the altitude ranges Anacafé gives for Antigua (1,524–1,707 m) and Cobán (1,311–1,707 m). Bracket: 400–1,400 m, where leaf rust struck with almost equal intensity in 2012. Dashed: 1,500 m, above which a 2015 model finds Guatemala gaining suitability by the 2050s. Vertical scale exaggerated about 20 times.7,13,21

Climate and harvest#

The harvest usually begins in late November and runs to March, depending on region and altitude, according to the agriculture ministry.8,23 Harvest calendars compares these months with other origins.

Rain and temperature. Rainfall differs widely between regions.7 Anacafé gives 813–1,219 mm a year for Antigua (source: 32–48 in) and 4,064–5,080 mm for San Marcos (source: 160–200 in; our conversion).7 In San Marcos, much of the coffee is pre-dried in the sun and finished in a Guardiola dryer, because rainfall during the harvest is unpredictable.7

The coffee year. USDA uses an October–September marketing year for Guatemala.1 Anacafé’s coffee year 2024–2025 also ended on 30 September.6 Crop year and coffee year explains the different calendars.

Farms and people#

Anacafé represents more than 125,000 coffee growers and their families.6 Of these, 97% produce on small units.6 USDA gives a similar count of about 125,000 smallholder farmers.5

Who grows the coffee. Small producers grow 50% of the national volume, according to Anacafé.6 USDA puts their share at 44%, with medium producers at 31% and large ones at 25%.5 Neither source defines the size classes in the passages consulted (see Contested).

Jobs. The sector generates about half a million jobs a year, according to Anacafé.6

Varieties#

Arabica covers about 98% of the planted area and robusta about 2%, according to USDA.5 USDA lists arabica cultivars sold as seed, including Anacafé 14, Anacafé 90, Cuscatleco, Catuaí, Catucaí and Caturra.5 About 30% of arabica trees are rust-tolerant hybrids.5 No variety census was consulted, so the share of each variety is not known.

Selected in Guatemala. World Coffee Research catalogues the lineage of Anacafé 14 as a Catimor (Timor Hybrid 832/1 × Caturra) crossed with Pacamara; according to its history, the cross is thought to have arisen naturally.14 Anacafé released it as a commercial variety in 2014.14 Pache is a natural mutation of Typica; according to World Coffee Research, it was mass-selected on private farms in Guatemala.15 The Timor Hybrid explains the Catimor lines.

Processing#

Anacafé monitors the moisture, drying and cup quality of the harvest.9 In its monitoring of 2024/25, 92.1% of samples tasted clean.9 USDA classes 83% of green exports in 2023/24 as strictly hard bean (SHB).5 No source consulted gives the national shares of washed, natural and honey coffee. Washed process and drying describe the steps.

History#

Arrival. Coffee was introduced at the end of the 18th century, but at first was not grown for sale, according to a 1976 study.11 The same study reports an earlier writer’s account that Jesuits brought the first plants to their gardens in Antigua Guatemala.11 This is an attributed account, not a documented record.

From cochineal to coffee. Cochineal, a red dye, was the leading export until its decline in 1865, when coffee replaced it.11 In 1862 Guatemala exported coffee worth 19,000 pesos.11

The Liberal reform. A Liberal government took power on 30 June 1871.11 In 1873 it ordered the sale of public lands in Costa Cuca and El Palmar, coffee zones in Quetzaltenango.11 The Reglamento de Jornaleros of 1877 regulated farm labour; in the study’s assessment, it legalised forced labour.11

The coffee law. The Ley del Café of 1969 defines Anacafé as a non-profit body under public law, made up of the country’s coffee growers.10

Leaf rust. By May 2013, a state of phytosanitary emergency over leaf rust had been declared in Guatemala.12 Rust affected 70% of the coffee area in 2012/13, according to ICO figures from PROMECAFÉ.12

Trade and institutions#

Exports. In coffee year 2024/25, Guatemala exported 3,725,808 quintales of green coffee worth USD 1,284.7 million, according to Anacafé.6 The United States took 41% of exports in 2023/24, according to USDA.5

Anacafé. The coffee law makes Anacafé the only body that may issue export and shipment permits.10 Anacafé also keeps statistics, runs extension services and monitors leaf rust.5,6

Geographical indication. Café Antigua is protected in the EU under its association agreement with Central America.16 In October 2026 the EU registered it as a protected geographical indication (PGI).17 The United Kingdom registered it as a PGI on 31 December 2020.18

Competitions. Guatemala holds a national Cup of Excellence competition and auction.19,20 Auctions and competitions explains the format.

On the futures market. Guatemalan coffee is deliverable against New York’s Coffee “C” contract at a premium of 500 points, which is 5 US cents per lb (our conversion).22 Differentials explains these premiums and discounts.

Production over time#

The FAO series runs from 1961. Production doubled from 100,600 t in 1961 to 202,400 t in 1990 (our calculation).2 It peaked at 312,060 t in 2000.2 After 272,432 t in 2012, it fell by 8.7% in 2013 and by 16.4% to 2014 (our calculation), the years of the leaf rust epidemic.2 Since 2014 it has varied between 212,848 t (2023) and 246,000 t (2020).2

19601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025050100150200250300350Yearthousand t green coffeeGuatemala2
Data table
SeriesYearthousand t green coffeeSource
Guatemala1961100.62
Guatemala1962117.72
Guatemala1963104.42
Guatemala1964105.22
Guatemala1965126.12
Guatemala1966106.22
Guatemala1967102.3632
Guatemala1968112.3922
Guatemala1969118.6852
Guatemala1970126.5462
Guatemala1971128.3862
Guatemala1972142.6822
Guatemala1973145.6422
Guatemala1974157.4372
Guatemala1975139.0912
Guatemala1976158.4332
Guatemala1977168.2172
Guatemala1978169.6362
Guatemala1979164.812
Guatemala1980177.432
Guatemala1981193.832
Guatemala1982189.332
Guatemala1983183.012
Guatemala1984196.612
Guatemala1985181.632
Guatemala1986196.562
Guatemala1987193.22
Guatemala1988179.42
Guatemala1989193.22
Guatemala1990202.42
Guatemala1991196.192
Guatemala1992206.5862
Guatemala1993208.652
Guatemala1994213.92
Guatemala1995210.922
Guatemala1996240.32
Guatemala1997271.442
Guatemala1998253.082
Guatemala1999293.522
Guatemala2000312.062
Guatemala2001261.0972
Guatemala2002255.0912
Guatemala2003244.22
Guatemala2004250.2792
Guatemala2005248.2772
Guatemala2006240.3312
Guatemala2007248.6142
Guatemala2008254.9142
Guatemala2009247.5032
Guatemala2010248.3552
Guatemala2011265.4012
Guatemala2012272.4322
Guatemala2013248.6682
Guatemala2014227.6532
Guatemala2015225.6532
Guatemala2016236.1452
Guatemala20172242
Guatemala2018240.42
Guatemala2019216.42
Guatemala20202462
Guatemala2021226.72
Guatemala2022238.3542
Guatemala2023212.8482
Guatemala2024224.862
Green coffee production of Guatemala, 1961–2024, in thousand tonnes, from FAO statistics by calendar year. The peak was 312,060 t in 2000; the fall after 2012 follows the leaf rust epidemic.2
Year t Year t Year t Year t
1961 100,6002 1977 168,2172 1993 208,6502 2009 247,5032
1962 117,7002 1978 169,6362 1994 213,9002 2010 248,3552
1963 104,4002 1979 164,8102 1995 210,9202 2011 265,4012
1964 105,2002 1980 177,4302 1996 240,3002 2012 272,4322
1965 126,1002 1981 193,8302 1997 271,4402 2013 248,6682
1966 106,2002 1982 189,3302 1998 253,0802 2014 227,6532
1967 102,3632 1983 183,0102 1999 293,5202 2015 225,6532
1968 112,3922 1984 196,6102 2000 312,0602 2016 236,1452
1969 118,6852 1985 181,6302 2001 261,0972 2017 224,0002
1970 126,5462 1986 196,5602 2002 255,0912 2018 240,4002
1971 128,3862 1987 193,2002 2003 244,2002 2019 216,4002
1972 142,6822 1988 179,4002 2004 250,2792 2020 246,0002
1973 145,6422 1989 193,2002 2005 248,2772 2021 226,7002
1974 157,4372 1990 202,4002 2006 240,3312 2022 238,3542
1975 139,0912 1991 196,1902 2007 248,6142 2023 212,8482
1976 158,4332 1992 206,5862 2008 254,9142 2024 224,8602

Values given with decimals in the source (2001–2002, 2006–2011 and 2014–2016) are rounded to whole tonnes.2

Yield. FAO’s average yield was 598 kg/ha in 2024.4 It was 437 kg/ha in 1961, reached its highest value, 1,143 kg/ha, in 2000, and its lowest since 1970, 566 kg/ha, in 2023.4 USDA’s post estimates 10.26 bags of 60 kg per hectare for 2023/24.5 Coffee yields compares origins.

USDA’s recent series. In USDA’s July 2026 tables, production was 3.54 million bags in 2021/22, 3.27 million in 2022/23, 3.47 million in 2023/24, 3.27 million in 2024/25 and 3.16 million in 2025/26.1 USDA forecasts 3.26 million bags for 2026/27.1 The arabica rows are 130,000 bags lower in each year from 2021/22 except 2022/23 (120,000), which we read as robusta (our calculation).1

Area and trees. USDA’s post gives 376,000 ha planted and 338,000 ha harvested, the latter from a 2024 coffee map.5 It counts 1.63 billion bearing trees.5

Regions in detail#

All values are as Anacafé publishes them on its region pages, converted to SI units (our conversion).7 Rainfall is read as annual.

Region (Anacafé name) Altitude Rainfall Temperature Relative humidity
Huehuetenango (Highland Huehue) 1,524–1,981 m (5,000–6,500 ft)7 1,219–1,422 mm (48–56 in)7 20.0–23.9 °C (68–75 °F)7 70–80%7
Acatenango (Acatenango Valley) 1,311–1,981 m (4,300–6,500 ft)7 1,219–1,829 mm (48–72 in)7 13.9–31.1 °C (57–88 °F)7 70–80%7
Antigua (Antigua Coffee) 1,524–1,707 m (5,000–5,600, unit not stated)7 813–1,219 mm (32–48 in)7 17.8–22.2 °C (64–72 °F)7 65%7
Atitlán (Traditional Atitlán) 1,524–1,707 m (5,000–5,600 ft)7 1,829–2,337 mm (72–92 in)7 20.0–22.2 °C (68–72 °F)7 75–85%7
Cobán (Rainforest Cobán) 1,311–1,707 m (4,300–5,600 ft)7 3,048–4,064 mm (120–160 in)7 15.0–20.0 °C (59–68 °F)7 85–95%7
Fraijanes (Fraijanes Plateau) 1,372–1,829 m (4,500–6,000 ft)7 1,524–3,048 mm (60–120 in)7 12.2–26.1 °C (54–79 °F)7 70–90%7
Nuevo Oriente (New Oriente) 1,311–1,707 m (4,300–5,600 ft)7 1,829–2,032 mm (72–80 in)7 17.8–25.0 °C (64–77 °F)7 70–80%7
San Marcos (Volcanic San Marcos) 1,311–1,829 m (4,300–6,000 ft)7 4,064–5,080 mm (160–200 in)7 21.1–27.2 °C (70–81 °F)7 70–80%7

The pages print the four values without labels; which value is rainfall, temperature or humidity is our reading of the units.7 Anacafé writes that Acatenango coffee grows under dense shade up to 6,500 ft, which it gives as 2,000 m (1,981 m by our conversion).7 No official list of the departments or municipalities in each region was consulted.

Leaf rust, 2012–2013 and after#

Item Value Source
Emergency State of phytosanitary emergency declared; still in force in May 2013 ICO12; Avelino et al. 201513
Area affected (2012/13) 193,200 ha of 276,000 ha; incidence 70% ICO, PROMECAFÉ figures12
Losses (2012/13) 554,394 bags of 60 kg; USD 101.0 million ICO, PROMECAFÉ figures12
Jobs lost (2012/13) 75,000 of 500,000 ICO, PROMECAFÉ figures12
Farms assessed 1,224, in November 2012, by Anacafé Avelino et al. 201513
Races identified (July 2013) XXV and XXVIII Avelino et al. 201513
Coffee area older than 25 years 25% Avelino et al. 201513
FAO production, 2012 to 2014 272,432 t to 227,653 t (−16.4%, our calculation) FAO2
Incidence, 2023/24 Below 10% USDA 20255
Average incidence, August 2025 13.7% Anacafé6

The ICO table’s columns are out of order in the text layer of its PDF. Our assignment matches the column totals and the 70% incidence in the report’s text.12

Weather and altitude. A 2015 review used Anacafé data from 1,224 farms.13 In 2012, minimum daily temperatures in Guatemalan coffee areas were 0.9 °C higher and maximum temperatures 1.2 °C lower than usual.13 The review links this narrower daily range to a shorter latency period of the fungus.13 Attack intensities were almost equal at all altitudes from 400 to 1,400 m.13 Nationally, high-altitude Huehuetenango was lightly affected and the lower South Coast heavily affected.13 Unusually high rust levels had been detected in parts of southern and south-eastern Guatemala in 2011–12.13

Response. Anacafé negotiated fungicide prices with agrochemical companies, according to the review.13 A USD 100 million trust fund served medium and large producers; smallholders without access to credit had no equivalent.13 Coffee leaf rust explains races and resistance.

Exports#

Item Value Source
Exports, coffee year 2024/25 3,725,808 quintales oro (green coffee) Anacafé6
Export earnings, 2024/25 USD 1,284,710,833 Anacafé6
Average value, 2024/25 ≈USD 344.81 per quintal (our calculation) Anacafé6
Green exports, 2023/24 3.15 million bags of 60 kg; 83% SHB USDA 20255
Share to the United States, 2023/24 41% of total exports USDA 20255
Bean exports, USDA tables 3.34, 3.00, 3.15, 2.86 and 2.80 million bags (2021/22–2025/26); 2.88 million forecast (2026/27) USDA1
Roast and ground exports, USDA tables 4,000 bags (2021/22) to 30,000 bags (2025/26); 40,000 forecast (2026/27) USDA1

Anacafé’s report does not define the quintal in the passages consulted, so its volume is not converted here.6 USDA’s post lists Canada, Japan, Belgium, Italy, South Korea and Germany as the next markets after the United States.5

Geographical indications#

Item Café Antigua
Area named Antigua, a valley surrounded by the volcanoes Agua, Fuego and Acatenango (Anacafé)7
Applicant for EU registration Asociación de Productores de Café Genuino Antigua17
EU protection by agreement Association Council Decision No 5/2014, 7 November 2014 (Annex XVIII, Part B)16
EU register Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2301 of 8 October 2026, PGI, in force 4 November 2026; application published 22 June 202617
UK protection PGI, registered 31 December 202018
Registration in Guatemala Not found in an official source consulted
Area and altitude in the specification Not consulted (the EU single document could not be accessed)

Anacafé’s own altitude for the Antigua region is 1,524–1,707 m, read as feet (see Regions in detail).7 That is the region’s profile, not the legal specification.

Cup of Excellence#

The 2025 auction was held on 15 July 2025.19 The highest score, 91.15, went to a washed Geisha from La Gran Manzana in Huehuetenango; lot 1A sold at USD 143.10 per lb (2025).19 The 2026 auction was held on 23 July 2026, with 27 ranked coffees sold as 32 lots.20 Its highest score, 91.86, went to a natural Geisha from El Injerto I in Huehuetenango; lot 1A sold at USD 161.30 per lb (2026).20 Auctions and competitions compares prices across countries.

Research#

Anacafé’s research centre Cedicafé developed the first model of “life zones” for Guatemalan coffee, with three zones of slow, adequate and rapid growth.6 USDA reports 122 weather stations in operation, with data available to producers.5 It also monitors coffee quality and leaf rust.6,9

Quality monitoring, 2024/25. Anacafé evaluated 127 samples between November 2024 and January 2025.9

Parameter Value Source
Target moisture 10–12% for green coffee after drying (basis not stated) Anacafé9
Mean moisture 10.99% (basis not stated) Anacafé9
Samples within the target 65% Anacafé9
Clean cups 92.1% of samples Anacafé9
Uneven drying 65.6% of samples Anacafé9

Climate risk#

A 2015 global model projects that climates suitable for arabica in Mesoamerica move from 400–2,000 m to 800–2,500 m by the 2050s.21 Guatemala has the smallest loss of suitable area in the region, 19%.21 It gains suitability at 1,500–2,500 m.21 These are model projections, not forecasts by Coffearium.

Anacafé’s regions lie at 1,311–1,981 m (our conversion).7 The upper part of each range lies above the 1,500 m where the model finds gains (our reading).7,21

Reference values#

Parameter Value Source
Production, USDA 3.16 million 60-kg bags (2025/26); 3.26 million forecast (2026/27) USDA1
Production, FAO 224,860 t (2024); peak 312,060 t (2000) FAO2,3
Share of world output 1.76% (2025/26, USDA); 2.02% (2024, FAO); our calculation USDA1, FAO3
Species Arabica ≈98%, robusta ≈2% of planted area USDA 20255
Coffee area 376,000 ha planted; 338,000 ha harvested USDA 20255
Yield 598 kg/ha (FAO, 2024) FAO4
Municipalities with coffee 261 of 340; all departments Anacafé6
Altitude of the regions 1,311–1,981 m (our conversion from 4,300–6,500 ft) Anacafé7
Harvest Late November to March MAGA8, AGN23
Growers More than 125,000; 97% small Anacafé6
Exports 3,725,808 quintales oro; USD 1,284.7 million (2024/25) Anacafé6
SHB share of green exports 83% (2023/24) USDA 20255
Leaf rust, 2012/13 193,200 ha affected of 276,000 ha ICO12
Coffee “C” differential +500 points ICE22
Coffee law Decreto 19-69, passed 22 April 1969 Congreso10
Café Antigua EU PGI (Regulation 2026/2301); UK PGI (2020) EU17, UK18

Open questions#

  • Production by department. No official table of production or area by department was consulted; Anacafé’s 2024–2025 report gives no national production or area.6
  • Regions and departments. Anacafé’s region pages name no departments or municipalities, and the boundaries of the eight regions are not documented here.7
  • Café Antigua. The EU single document and the Guatemalan registration record were not consulted, so the legal area, altitude and date of national registration are not given.17
  • Size of the crop. USDA’s tables and its post report differ by 0.26 million bags for 2024/25 and 0.39 million for 2025/26 (our calculation), and FAO’s 2024 value is higher than USDA’s 2025/26 figure (see Contested).1,3,5
  • Processing shares. No source consulted gives the national shares of washed, natural and honey coffee.
  • Variety shares. Apart from USDA’s 30% of rust-tolerant hybrids, no variety census was consulted.5
  • Early history. No primary record of the first plantings was consulted; the Jesuit account is reported second-hand.11

Key studies#

Avelino et al., 2015 – The rust crises in Colombia and Central America. Reviews the 2008–2013 epidemics and their drivers. For Guatemala it uses Anacafé’s survey of 1,224 farms in November 2012 and links the epidemic to a narrower daily temperature range in 2012. It also records the races identified in 2013 and the support measures for producers.

Food Security 7(2), 303–321 · doi:10.1007/s12571-015-0446-9

Ovalle-Rivera et al., 2015 – Arabica suitability under climate change. Modelled suitability for arabica in the main producing regions by the 2050s. In Mesoamerica suitable climates move upwards; Guatemala loses the smallest share of suitable area in the region and gains land at 1,500–2,500 m.

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

Cazali Ávila, 1976 – Coffee and agricultural labour in the Liberal reform. Traces how coffee replaced cochineal after 1865 and how the Liberal governments from 1871 sold public land and regulated labour for coffee estates. It gives production statistics for 1880 and reads the labour regulation of 1877 as a legalisation of forced labour.

Anuario de Estudios Centroamericanos 2(1), 35–93 · Universidad de Costa Rica

Contested
  • Size of the crop: USDA’s July 2026 tables give 3.155 million 60-kg bags for marketing year 2025/26 (October–September), which is 189,300 t (our calculation)1; FAO gives 224,860 t of green coffee for calendar year 20243. In April 2025 USDA’s post in Guatemala City forecast 3.54 million bags for 2025/26 and estimated 3.53 million for 2024/25, against 3.27 million for 2024/25 in the July 2026 tables.5,1 The sources consulted do not explain the differences.
  • Share of output from small producers: 44% in USDA’s 2025 report, which counts smallholders as 97% of producers5; 50% of the national volume in Anacafé’s report for 2024–2025, also with 97% small producers.6 Neither source defines “small” in the passages consulted.
  • Number of regions: Anacafé describes eight coffee regions, each with a profile7, and its 2024–2025 report runs its competitions in “the eight coffee regions”6; the same report speaks of seven regional offices (“siete regionales”) and, for its nursery monitoring, of “siete regiones cafetaleras”.6
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  1. AUSDA Foreign Agricultural Service (2026). Coffee: World Markets and Trade (July 2026). United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service.Quoted passage: data; USDA FAS PSD tables, Guatemala, marketing years 2021/22–2026/27; July 2026 edition.
  2. AFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); processed by Our World in Data (2026). Coffee bean production (FAOSTAT, Crops and livestock products, item Coffee, green). FAO via Our World in Data.Quoted passage: data; FAOSTAT green coffee production, Guatemala, calendar years 1961–2024.
  3. AFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2026). FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products (item “Coffee, green”, element “Production”, 2024). FAO, licence CC BY 4.0.Quoted passage: data; FAOSTAT 2024 extract, 78 countries and territories.
  4. AFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); processed by Our World in Data (2026). Coffee bean yields; Coffee bean production (FAOSTAT, Crops and livestock products, item Coffee, green). FAO via Our World in Data.Quoted passage: data; FAOSTAT green coffee yield, Guatemala, 1961–2024.
  5. ATay, K. (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Guatemala City) (2025). Guatemala: Coffee Annual (GT2025-0007). USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, GAIN report.Quoted passage: data; USDA FAS post report, Guatemala City; marketing years 2023/24–2025/26.
  6. A/BAsociación Nacional del Café (Anacafé) (2025). Memoria de labores 2025 (año cafetalero 2024–2025). Anacafé, Guatemala City.Quoted passage: data; Anacafé annual report, coffee year 2024–2025.
  7. A/BAsociación Nacional del Café (Anacafé) (2019). Regions and profiles (Highland Huehue, Acatenango Valley, Antigua Coffee, Traditional Atitlán, Rainforest Cobán, Fraijanes Plateau, New Oriente, Volcanic San Marcos). Guatemalan Coffees, website of the Guatemalan National Coffee Association (©2019).Quoted passage: data; Anacafé region profiles: altitude, rainfall, temperature and humidity ranges for eight regions (no date beyond ©2019).
  8. A(2025). Época de cosecha del café. Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación (MAGA), Guatemala.
  9. AAsociación Nacional del Café (Anacafé), Calidad, Poscosecha e Innovación (2025). Monitoreo nacional de calidad de café (boletín, marzo 2025). Anacafé, Guatemala City.Quoted passage: data; Anacafé national quality monitoring, harvest 2024/25, 127 samples.
  10. ACongreso de la República de Guatemala (1969). Ley del Café (Decreto Número 19-69 del Congreso de la República de Guatemala). Congreso de la República de Guatemala; copy hosted by the Asociación Guatemalteca de Exportadores (Agexport).Quoted passage: a definition; Guatemala, coffee law of 1969: Anacafé’s legal nature, export permits, producer registry.
  11. ACazali Ávila, A. (1976). El desarrollo del cultivo del café y su influencia en el régimen del trabajo agrícola. Época de la reforma liberal (1871-1885). Anuario de Estudios Centroamericanos 2(1), 35–93 (Universidad de Costa Rica).Quoted passage: a description; Guatemala, coffee and agricultural labour during the Liberal reform, 1871–1885.
  12. AInternational Coffee Organization (2013). Report on the outbreak of coffee leaf rust in Central America and Action Plan to combat the pest (ED 2157/13). International Coffee Organization, London.Quoted passage: data; Coffee leaf rust in PROMECAFÉ countries, crop year 2012/13.
  13. AAvelino, J.; Cristancho, M.; Georgiou, S.; Imbach, P.; Aguilar, L.; Bornemann, G.; Läderach, P.; Anzueto, F.; Hruska, A. J.; Morales, C. (2015). The coffee rust crises in Colombia and Central America (2008–2013): impacts, plausible causes and proposed solutions. Food Security 7(2), 303–321. doi:10.1007/s12571-015-0446-9 · other copiesQuoted passage: the authors’ own result; Review of the 2008–2013 rust epidemics in Colombia and Central America; Guatemala data from Anacafé.
  14. A/BWorld Coffee Research Anacafe 14. World Coffee Research, Arabica Coffee Varieties catalogue.
  15. A/BWorld Coffee Research Pache. World Coffee Research, Arabica Coffee Varieties catalogue.
  16. AEU–Central America Association Council (2015). Decisión No 5/2014 del Consejo de Asociación UE-Centroamérica, de 7 de noviembre de 2014, sobre las indicaciones geográficas que deben incluirse en el anexo XVIII del Acuerdo [2015/1219]. Diario Oficial de la Unión Europea L 196/59, 24 July 2015 (copy on boe.es).Quoted passage: a definition; EU–Central America Association Agreement, Annex XVIII, Part B.
  17. AEuropean Commission (2026). Reglamento de Ejecución (UE) 2026/2301 de la Comisión, de 8 de octubre de 2026, relativo a la inscripción de la indicación geográfica «Café Antigua» (IGP) en el registro de indicaciones geográficas de la Unión de conformidad con el Reglamento (UE) 2024/1143. Diario Oficial de la Unión Europea, serie L, 2026/2301, 15 October 2026 (copy on boe.es, DOUE-L-2026-81586).Quoted passage: a definition; EU register of geographical indications, Café Antigua (PGI), October 2026.
  18. AUK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (2021). Café Antigua. GOV.UK, protected food and drink names register.
  19. AAlliance for Coffee Excellence (2025). Guatemala 2025 – Cup of Excellence results. Alliance for Coffee Excellence.
  20. AAlliance for Coffee Excellence (2026). Guatemala 2026 – Cup of Excellence results. Alliance for Coffee Excellence.
  21. AOvalle-Rivera, O.; Läderach, P.; Bunn, C.; Obersteiner, M.; Schroth, G. (2015). Projected Shifts in Coffea arabica Suitability among Major Global Producing Regions Due to Climate Change. PLoS ONE 10(4), e0124155. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0124155 · other copiesQuoted passage: the authors’ own result; Global suitability model, 2050s; Mesoamerica section, Guatemala named.
  22. A(2026). Coffee C® Futures: contract specifications. ICE Futures U.S..
  23. ARodríguez, L. (2025). El café guatemalteco, una tradición que se cosecha con esfuerzo y precisión. Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias (AGN), Guatemala.Quoted passage: a description; Guatemala, national coffee harvest season.

Tier A · authoritative · B · trade and expert · C · general. Supporting quotes for every source are in the data version of this entry. If a publisher’s site refuses access, try the doi link or “other copies”.

The literature for this entry was last searched on 3 Nov 2026. A statement that no source consulted for this entry shows something refers to the sources above; newer or missing work may exist.

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