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Origin · Country profile

Peru

An arabica-only origin on the eastern slopes of the Andes, grown by smallholders from Cajamarca, Amazonas and San Martín in the north to Cusco and Puno in the south, mostly washed and sun-dried, and a leading supplier of organic coffee.

Across the chain: History

Source-checkedby Coffearium verification pass· Last source-checked 3 Nov 2026· Prepared with AI assistance· 27 sources (22 tier A)· 7 contested· Updated 3 Nov 2026· Literature last searched 3 Nov 2026
Reading depth
Contents
  • Peru produced 4.76 million bags of 60 kg in 2025/26, all arabica, by the count of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA); USDA forecasts 4.78 million for 2026/27.1
  • In the agriculture ministry’s 2016 table, San Martín, Cajamarca, Junín and Amazonas grew 75.5% of the crop (our calculation).9
  • The 2012 agricultural census counted 425,416 ha of coffee, the largest area of the main crops it lists, worked by about 223,000 families.7,9
  • In 2013 the plant health service SENASA counted 272,049 ha affected by leaf rust, of 421,603 ha of coffee.11
  • Café Villa Rica (2010) and Café Machu Picchu – Huadquiña are Peru’s two coffee denominations of origin; the EU added both to its trade agreement list in 2022.13,15,16

Snapshot#

Peru grows only arabica (C. arabica) in the tables of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).1 USDA puts the 2025/26 crop at 4.76 million bags of 60 kg.1 That is 2.66% of the world total of 178.8 million bags (our calculation).1 For 2026/27, USDA forecasts 4.78 million bags.1

In the statistics of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Peru produced 358,994 t of green coffee in 2024.3 That ranks eighth among 78 countries and is 3.22% of their total (our calculation).3 Peru’s own agriculture ministry counts a similar amount, 352,645 t in 2022, but USDA’s figures are 31–42% lower for matching years (our calculation; see Contested).6,1

Coffee has the largest area of the main crops in the 2012 agricultural census. The census counted 425,416 ha, 10.2% of all cropped land.7 Most of it is grown by smallholders and washed.9,5

Where coffee grows#

Coffee grows mainly on the eastern slopes of the Andes, according to USDA and a 2017 study for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).5,10 The agriculture ministry puts it at 800–2,000 m.9 USDA states that about 75% is grown at 1,000–1,800 m.5 USDA counts coffee in 16 of Peru’s 25 regions.5

Relief map of Peru with layers for coffee production by department, the departments in the 2013 leaf rust emergency, the denominations of origin for coffee and a coffee germplasm bankECUADORCOLOMBIABRAZILBOLIVIAPacific OceanLimaCuscoChiclayoJaénTarapotoMoyobambaChachapoyasHuánucoTarmaSatipoPucallpaHuancayoCajamarcaVilla Rica DOMachu Picchu – Huadquiña DOLa GénovaSan Juan del OroPichanakiTingo María
darker = higher (800, 2,000 and 3,500 m)dashed: department bordersRelief: AWS Terrain Tiles, 0.18° means; borders and towns: Natural Earth; departments: geoBoundaries
Interactive relief map of Peru. Layers: harvested area and production by department in 2016 (agriculture ministry); the departments in the 2013 leaf rust emergency; and the two denominations of origin with a coffee germplasm bank at San Ramón and the towns sampled in a 2024 rust study.9,5,12,11,13,14,16,17,19,20

Departments. In the agriculture ministry’s table for 2016, San Martín grew 82,319 t, Cajamarca 48,182 t, Junín 46,692 t and Amazonas 34,966 t.9 Together they grew 75.5% of the national 280,979 t (our calculation).9 Cusco followed with 30,381 t.9 USDA’s 2025 report gives a different order, with Cajamarca at 22%, San Martín 20%, Junín 19% and Amazonas 15%, but no year.5 The full table is under Coffee by department.

0 m1,000 m2,000 m3,000 m4,000 m5,000 mCLimaAndean divide near TiclioTarmaLa MercedVilla RicaG0 km50 km100 km150 km200 km250 kmLight shading: 800–2,000 m, the agriculture ministry’s range for coffee 9 .Darker: 1,000–1,800 m, about 75% of coffee (USDA) 5 . Dashed: 1,800 m, below which a 2015 model finds areas less suitable by the 2050s 23 .C: Café Villa Rica denomination, 1,000–2,000 m 13 . G: La Génova germplasm bank, San Ramón, 950 m 19 .Lima to Villa Rica, bent at the places marked; vertical scale about 20×. Terrain: AWS Terrain Tiles, 0.04° means.
Section from the Pacific coast at Lima over the Andes near Ticlio and Tarma to La Merced in the Chanchamayo valley and Villa Rica. Shaded: 800–2,000 m, where the agriculture ministry places coffee; darker: 1,000–1,800 m, where USDA places about 75% of it. Dashed: 1,800 m, below which a 2015 model finds areas less suitable by the 2050s. Bracket: 1,000–2,000 m, the Café Villa Rica denomination; mark: the La Génova germplasm bank at 950 m. Terrain from 0.04° mean relief.9,5,23,13,19

Climate and harvest#

The harvest begins in April and runs to September, with a peak in June and July.5 About 85% of the crop is picked from April to July.5 Harvest calendars compares these months with other origins.

The coffee year. USDA uses an April–March marketing year for Peru.1 Crop year and coffee year explains the different calendars.

Picking. The crop is largely hand-picked, according to USDA.5 In the Café Villa Rica specification, ripe cherries are picked into a basket held at the waist.13

Farms and people#

The 2012 census found about 223,000 families farming 425,400 ha of coffee, according to the agriculture ministry.9 In the ministry’s plan, 85% of producers are small, with 1–5 ha.9 USDA states that over 90% of Peruvian coffee comes from plots smaller than 5 ha.5

Cooperatives. Only about 30% of producers belong to an organisation, mainly cooperatives, according to the ministry.9 Some cooperatives have over 2,000 members, according to USDA.5 The applicant for the Machu Picchu – Huadquiña denomination is a cooperative.14

Growth of the area. Between the 1994 and 2012 censuses, coffee gained more than 222,000 ha, and cacao more than 95,000 ha.8 Living income gives Fairtrade’s reference price for organic Peruvian coffee.25

Varieties#

USDA’s tables list only arabica for Peru.1 USDA gives Typica as over 70% of production and Caturra as 20%.5 A 2020 study lists Typica, red and yellow Caturra, Pache, Catuaí, Maragogype and Catimor among the varieties introduced.19

After the rust. A 2023 study states that Catimor predominates in the Puno region.22 No variety census was consulted, so the national shares are uncertain (see Contested). Arabica varieties and the Timor Hybrid give the background.

Processing#

Peruvian coffee is mainly washed: USDA states that it is primarily processed using water.5 The crop is largely sun-dried.5 The ministry names limited post-harvest infrastructure, mainly for drying, as a problem, with coffee dried in the open on sheets laid on the ground.9

Two specifications. The denominations of origin describe the washed process in detail. For Café Villa Rica, pulped coffee ferments for 10–32 hours.13 For Machu Picchu – Huadquiña, it ferments for 14–18 hours and then dries on cement-tile drying floors for 3–4 days.14 Washed process and drying compare these steps with other origins.

History#

Arrival: an account without record. The official gazette’s 2024 editorial dates coffee’s arrival to 1740–1760, at Guayaquil, then part of the Viceroyalty of Peru.26 It cites no primary record.26 No primary record of the first planting was consulted for this entry.

Growth. In FAO statistics, production rose from 42,643 t in 1961 to 106,520 t in 1996.2 It then grew fastest, reaching 231,447 t in 2004 and 331,547 t in 2011.2 Coffee area grew by more than 222,000 ha between 1994 and 2012.8

Leaf rust. Leaf rust struck in 2012–2013.20,9 The government declared a state of emergency in the coffee zones by a decree published on 4 May 2013; by October 2013 the declaration covered 11 departments.12 In 2013, SENASA counted 272,049 ha affected of 421,603 ha of coffee.11 Production fell to 222,047 t in 2014.6

Institutions. A National Coffee Council was created in 2002 by Resolución Suprema N° 005-2002-AG.9 Peru rejoined the International Coffee Organization (ICO) on 14 December 2015.18 The agriculture ministry published a national coffee plan for 2018–2030.9 In 2021 the government created a National Executive Coffee Council, by Supreme Decree 002-2021-MIDAGRI.5

Trade and institutions#

Exports. USDA estimates exports of 4.55 million bags for 2025/26 and forecasts the same for 2026/27.1 In 2024/25, the United States took 27% of exports, Germany 19% and Belgium 11%.5 In the ministry’s series, Peru exported 254,282 t in 2022, at an average USD 4,801 per t.6

Organic and certified. Peru is the world’s leading exporter of organic coffee, according to USDA, with about 90,000 ha certified organic.5 The ministry, citing the Cámara Peruana del Café y Cacao, puts conventional coffee at 88.8%, certified at 9.8% and specialty at 2.4% of production; the three shares add up to 101%.9 Certifications and labels explains the schemes.

Denominations of origin. As of 2018, the national intellectual property office, INDECOPI, recognised two coffee denominations of origin.15 Café Villa Rica, from Villa Rica district in Oxapampa province, Pasco, was established by Resolution 12784-2010/DSD-INDECOPI.13,15 Café Machu Picchu – Huadquiña comes from Santa Teresa district, La Convención province, Cusco.15 Both have been protected in the EU since November 2022, under its trade agreement with the Andean countries.16 The United Kingdom added both to its own agreement in May 2026.17

On the futures market. Peruvian coffee is deliverable against New York’s Coffee “C” contract at par.24 Differentials explains these premiums and discounts.

Production over time#

The FAO series runs from 1961. Production rose from 42,643 t in 1961 to about 100,000 t in the late 1980s.2 It doubled between 1996 (106,520 t) and 2002 (212,770 t).2 After 331,547 t in 2011 it fell to 222,047 t in 2014, the leaf rust years.2 It peaked at 369,622 t in 2018 and has stayed between 353,206 t and 366,940 t since 2019.2

19601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025050100150200250300350400Yearthousand t green coffeePeru2
Data table
SeriesYearthousand t green coffeeSource
Peru196142.6432
Peru196246.3562
Peru196348.942
Peru196452.742
Peru196548.2642
Peru196652.382
Peru196752.7532
Peru196864.6522
Peru196968.4392
Peru197065.3682
Peru197170.5872
Peru197270.1952
Peru197370.3962
Peru197469.8552
Peru197565.3872
Peru197665.4452
Peru197780.192
Peru197888.1662
Peru1979105.4782
Peru198086.1772
Peru198179.362
Peru198279.4222
Peru198385.6372
Peru198483.3572
Peru198590.7362
Peru198696.0542
Peru198798.5382
Peru198899.4142
Peru1989105.7532
Peru199081.1422
Peru199182.6352
Peru199286.5192
Peru199385.6032
Peru199491.342
Peru199596.6972
Peru1996106.522
Peru1997133.2962
Peru1998144.7632
Peru1999167.1452
Peru2000191.6512
Peru2001196.2322
Peru2002212.772
Peru2003203.1482
Peru2004231.4472
Peru2005188.6112
Peru2006273.1782
Peru2007225.9922
Peru2008273.782
Peru2009243.4792
Peru2010264.6052
Peru2011331.5472
Peru2012320.1642
Peru2013256.2412
Peru2014222.0472
Peru2015251.9382
Peru2016277.762
Peru2017337.332
Peru2018369.6222
Peru2019363.322
Peru2020353.2062
Peru2021363.9972
Peru2022357.3462
Peru2023366.942
Peru2024358.9942
Green coffee production of Peru, 1961–2024, in thousand tonnes, from FAO statistics by calendar year. The fall from 2012 to 2014 follows the leaf rust epidemic; the peak was 369,622 t in 2018.2
Year t Year t Year t Year t
1961 42,6432 1977 80,1902 1993 85,6032 2009 243,4792
1962 46,3562 1978 88,1662 1994 91,3402 2010 264,6052
1963 48,9402 1979 105,4782 1995 96,6972 2011 331,5472
1964 52,7402 1980 86,1772 1996 106,5202 2012 320,1642
1965 48,2642 1981 79,3602 1997 133,2962 2013 256,2412
1966 52,3802 1982 79,4222 1998 144,7632 2014 222,0472
1967 52,7532 1983 85,6372 1999 167,1452 2015 251,9382
1968 64,6522 1984 83,3572 2000 191,6512 2016 277,7602
1969 68,4392 1985 90,7362 2001 196,2322 2017 337,3302
1970 65,3682 1986 96,0542 2002 212,7702 2018 369,6222
1971 70,5872 1987 98,5382 2003 203,1482 2019 363,3202
1972 70,1952 1988 99,4142 2004 231,4472 2020 353,2062
1973 70,3962 1989 105,7532 2005 188,6112 2021 363,9972
1974 69,8552 1990 81,1422 2006 273,1782 2022 357,3462
1975 65,3872 1991 82,6352 2007 225,9922 2023 366,9402
1976 65,4452 1992 86,5192 2008 273,7802 2024 358,9942

Values from 2012 are rounded to whole tonnes. Years 2005–2009 alternate between high and low crops (our reading).2

The agriculture ministry’s series. The ministry’s statistics, reproduced by the national statistics office (INEI), give harvested area, production, price and exports.6

Year Harvested area (ha) Production (t) Producer price (S/ per t) Exports (t) Export unit value (USD per t)
2012 370,6326 320,1646 6,3376 265,0486 3,8056
2013 399,6366 256,8326 4,8926 236,0146 2,9306
2014 361,6716 222,0476 7,2086 180,8596 4,0226
2015 379,1876 251,9386 6,4076 174,1396 3,3116
2016 383,9736 280,9786 5,6106 239,3126 3,1606
2017 383,1186 337,3306 5,9156 244,5236 2,8856
2018 432,4096 369,6226 5,5126 260,6346 2,6096
2019 438,1776 363,3206 5,1886 232,1376 2,7356
2020 (preliminary) 430,8206 353,2066 5,9276 212,5616 3,0006
2021 (preliminary) 429,7176 363,9976 8,7886 191,4906 3,9496
2022 (estimate) 423,8546 352,6456 12,1386 254,2826 4,8016

S/ = Peruvian sol. The table does not state whether production is green or parchment coffee; another table in the same chapter labels the same harvested area ‘Café pergamino’ (parchment coffee).6 Its values for 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017–2021 equal FAO’s after rounding (our reading).2,6 FAO’s 2013, 2016 and 2022 values differ slightly from it.2,6 In 2013 harvested area rose while production fell by 19.8% (our calculation).6

Yield. FAO’s average yield was 851 kg/ha in 2024.4 It was 483 kg/ha in 1961, reached 903 kg/ha in 2011 and fell to 614 kg/ha in 2014.4 The ministry’s plan gives about 772 kg/ha of parchment coffee, without a year, and USDA 721 kg/ha for 2024/25.9,5 Coffee yields compares origins.

USDA’s recent series. In USDA’s tables, production was 4.20 million bags in 2021/22, 3.48 million in 2022/23, 3.91 million in 2023/24, 4.12 million in 2024/25 and 4.76 million in 2025/26.1 Exports were 4.07, 3.33, 4.00, 3.91 and 4.55 million bags in the same years, including roast and ground coffee from 2023/24.1 USDA uses an April–March marketing year; FAO uses calendar years.1,3

Coffee by department#

No recent department table of the agriculture ministry could be accessed for this entry. The table below uses the ministry’s 2016 data from its national coffee plan, based on its monthly agricultural survey (EMDA).9 It gives harvested area and production; the form of coffee is not stated.9

0100002000030000400005000060000700008000090000t (2016; form of coffee not stated in the source)San Martín82,3199 Cajamarca48,1829 Junín46,6929 Amazonas34,9669 Cusco30,3819 Pasco10,0949 Huánuco7,8509 Puno6,9409 Ucayali4,5299 Ayacucho3,8759 Piura3,0449 Lambayeque1,7039 Others4049
Data table
t (2016; form of coffee not stated in the source)Source
San Martín82,3199
Cajamarca48,1829
Junín46,6929
Amazonas34,9669
Cusco30,3819
Pasco10,0949
Huánuco7,8509
Puno6,9409
Ucayali4,5299
Ayacucho3,8759
Piura3,0449
Lambayeque1,7039
Others4049
Coffee production by department in 2016, in tonnes, with names as in the source. Data: agriculture ministry, national coffee plan 2018–2030 (EMDA survey).9
Department Harvested area 2016 (ha) Production 2016 (t) Share of production (our calculation) t per ha (our calculation)
San Martín 87,1639 82,3199 29.3% 0.94
Cajamarca 53,0389 48,1829 17.1% 0.91
Junín 79,8089 46,6929 16.6% 0.59
Amazonas 53,2589 34,9669 12.4% 0.66
Cusco 53,8509 30,3819 10.8% 0.56
Pasco 10,7949 10,0949 3.6% 0.94
Huánuco 16,2029 7,8509 2.8% 0.48
Puno 10,8589 6,9409 2.5% 0.64
Ucayali 5,7799 4,5299 1.6% 0.78
Ayacucho 5,8669 3,8759 1.4% 0.66
Piura 7,9799 3,0449 1.1% 0.38
Lambayeque 2,4079 1,7039 0.6% 0.71
Others 4199 4049 0.1% 0.96
Total 387,4219 280,979 (row sum, our calculation)9 100% 0.73

The area rows add up to the printed total of 387,421 ha.9 The plan prints no exact production total, only “281 mil toneladas” (281,000 t); its rows sum to 280,979 t (our calculation).9 That matches the ministry’s 280,978 t for 2016, but the plan’s area is 3,448 ha larger than the 383,973 ha in the statistics series (our calculation).9,6 Junín and Cusco had the largest areas after San Martín but low output per hectare, 0.56–0.59 t (our calculation).9 After the leaf rust, a significant share of the producers it hit became over-indebted, especially in the central jungle (selva central), according to the ministry’s plan.9

Leaf rust, 2012–2013#

Item Value Source
Earliest emergency decree named DS 048-2013-PCM, published 4 May 2013, 60 days; all 11 departments except Piura DS 113-2013-PCM12
Second emergency decree named DS 082-2013-PCM, published 16 July 2013, 60 days; Piura added DS 113-2013-PCM12
National rust plan Resolución Ministerial N° 196-2013-AG, 4 June 2013 DS 113-2013-PCM12
Emergency decree of October 2013 DS 113-2013-PCM, 3 October 2013, 60 days; 11 departments and the VRAEM valleys El Peruano12
Coffee area (SENASA, 2013) 421,603 ha SENASA11
Area affected (2013) 272,049 ha (64.5%, our calculation) SENASA11
Area treated by SENASA 121,791 ha in 11 coffee regions SENASA11
Average incidence when the rust resurged (2013) 60% SENASA11
Area lost 80,000 ha, “la quinta parte” (one fifth) MINAGRI 20189
Production, 2012 to 2014 320,164 t to 222,047 t (−30.6%, our calculation) MIDAGRI via INEI6
Renewal target 80,000 ha Government of Peru, ICO 201618
Share of the crop affected (2025) Nearly 40% USDA5

SENASA called leaf rust the most important disease of Peruvian coffee in 2013.11 USDA wrote in 2025 that it still affects nearly 40% of the crop.5

New races. A 2024 study characterised 18 rust samples from San Juan del Oro (Puno), San Ramón and Pichanaki (Junín), Tingo María (Huánuco) and Villa Rica (Pasco).20 It found five known races and two new ones.20 The authors report that Catimor lines are susceptible to the two new races.20 Coffee leaf rust explains races and resistance.

Cultivars compared. In a trial from April 2017 to March 2018 in San Ramón, Chanchamayo, at 950 m, published in 2020, ten cultivars were followed for rust.19 Maragogype showed the highest severity, 15.9% (15.8% in the results), and Pacamara the lowest, 1.3%.19

Denominations of origin#

Item Café Villa Rica Café Machu Picchu – Huadquiña
Area Villa Rica district, Oxapampa province, Pasco15 Huadquiña, Santa Teresa district, La Convención province, Cusco15
Boundaries San Matías San Carlos Forest and Villa Rica district, among others13 From the Pillone ravine (13°16.4′ S, 72°38.50′ W) to Hatumpampa (13°00′56.6″ S, 72°37′49.0″ W)14
Recognition Resolution 12784-2010/DSD-INDECOPI13 Not stated in the specification14
Altitude 1,000–2,000 m13 About 1,350–1,500 m in fruit-filling sectors such as Santa Rosa; no range for the whole area14
Varieties Not named13 About 80% Typica, 10% Catimor, the rest Caturra and Bourbon14
Fermentation 10–32 h13 14–18 h14
Drying Natural, or mechanical at 40–60 °C for 36–48 h13 Cement-tile drying floors, 3–4 days14
Moisture of dry parchment 10–12% (basis not stated)13 About 12% (basis not stated)14
EU protection Trade Committee decision, 16 November 202216 Trade Committee decision, 16 November 202216
UK protection Decision No 01/2026, 13 May 202617 Decision No 01/2026, 13 May 202617

A regulatory council, the Consejo Regulador de la D.O. Café Villa Rica, administers the Villa Rica name.27 The Villa Rica specification describes coffee grown under shade trees, mainly Inga species.13 Shade and agroforestry gives the background.

Processing practice#

Step Peruvian practice Source
Picking Largely by hand USDA 20255
Method Mainly washed; “in its majority” by the wet route (pulping, fermentation, washing, drying), according to the UNDP baseline USDA 20255, UNDP 201710
Fermentation 10–32 h (Villa Rica); 14–18 h (Machu Picchu – Huadquiña) Specifications13,14
Drying Largely in the sun; often on sheets laid on the ground USDA 20255, MINAGRI 20189

Other methods. A 2023 trial with Catimor from Alto Inambari, Puno, scored 84.00 washed, 82.88 honey, 85.75 natural and 87.38 anaerobic, against 82.50 for a control sample.22 Honey process and anaerobic fermentation discuss this trial.

No source consulted for this entry gives the share of Peruvian coffee processed natural or honey, or the share dried mechanically.

Research#

A germplasm collection of the National Agrarian Innovation Institute (INIA) held 162 C. arabica accessions characterised in a 2023 study.21 The study links higher rust incidence and severity with lower yield.21 The Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina keeps a coffee germplasm bank at La Génova, San Ramón, Chanchamayo, at 950 m.19 INIA’s own pages could not be accessed, so its stations are not listed here.

Climate risk#

A 2015 global model projects that areas below 1,800 m in Peru, Colombia and Ecuador become less suitable for arabica by the 2050s.23 The three countries gain some suitable area at higher elevations.23 Overall, the Andean countries lose 16–20% of their currently suitable area.23 These are model projections, not forecasts by Coffearium.

Since USDA places about 75% of Peruvian coffee at 1,000–1,800 m, most of it lies in the band projected to become less suitable (our reading).5,23 According to USDA, a coffee berry borer infestation that began in 2020 persists, particularly below 1,500 m.5

Reference values#

Parameter Value Source
Production, USDA 4.76 million 60-kg bags (2025/26); 4.78 million forecast (2026/27) USDA1
Production, FAO 358,994 t (2024); peak 369,622 t (2018) FAO2,3
Production, ministry 352,645 t (2022, estimate) MIDAGRI via INEI6
Share of world output 2.66% (2025/26, USDA); 3.22% (2024, FAO); our calculation USDA1, FAO3
Coffee area 425,416 ha (census 2012); 423,854 ha harvested (2022) INEI7, MIDAGRI via INEI6
Yield 851 kg/ha (FAO, 2024); 772 kg/ha parchment (ministry plan 2018, no data year); 721 kg/ha (USDA, 2024/25) FAO4, MINAGRI9, USDA5
Main departments San Martín, Cajamarca, Junín, Amazonas: 75.5% of output (2016, our calculation) MINAGRI9
Altitude 800–2,000 m; 75% at 1,000–1,800 m MINAGRI9, USDA5
Harvest April–September, peak June–July; 85% in April–July USDA5
Producers About 223,000 families (census 2012) MINAGRI9
Farm size 85% of producers with 1–5 ha MINAGRI9
Organised producers About 30% MINAGRI9
Organic area About 90,000 ha certified USDA5
Exports 4.55 million bags (2025/26); 254,282 t (2022) USDA1, MIDAGRI via INEI6
Main destinations United States 27%, Germany 19%, Belgium 11% (2024/25) USDA5
Leaf rust, 2013 272,049 ha affected of 421,603 ha evaluated SENASA11
Coffee “C” differential Par ICE24
Café Villa Rica Resolution 12784-2010/DSD-INDECOPI; 1,000–2,000 m Specification13
ICO membership Rejoined 14 December 2015 ICO18

Open questions#

  • Green or parchment. The ministry’s production table does not state the form of coffee, and FAO repeats its values as green coffee. The same statistics chapter labels the ministry’s coffee area ‘Café pergamino’; in our reading the tonnes may therefore be parchment coffee. Whether this explains why USDA’s figures are 31–42% lower is not established.6,2,1
  • Recent department statistics. The ministry’s department series after 2016 could not be accessed; INEI’s department table for 2022 could not be read reliably.9,6
  • Variety shares. USDA’s Typica share of over 70% rests on USDA alone; no variety census was consulted, and how far renewal after the 2012–2013 rust changed the mix is not documented in the sources consulted.5
  • Harvest by region. No official source consulted gives harvest months by department.
  • Machu Picchu – Huadquiña. INDECOPI’s resolution and date for this denomination could not be confirmed in a Tier A source.14
  • Early history. No primary record of coffee’s arrival, of the 19th-century plantations of the central jungle or of the effects of the 1969 agrarian reform was consulted.26
  • Fairtrade share. No official figure for Fairtrade-certified volume or area was consulted.

Key studies#

Julca-Otiniano et al., 2024 – New rust races in Peru. Characterised 18 leaf rust samples from Puno, Junín, Huánuco and Pasco after the 2012–2013 epidemic. Besides five known races, two new ones were found; the authors report that Catimor lines are susceptible to them.

Agronomy 14(8), 1811 · doi:10.3390/agronomy14081811

Borjas-Ventura et al., 2020 – Ten cultivars against leaf rust. Followed rust severity on ten arabica cultivars in a germplasm bank at San Ramón, Chanchamayo, at 950 m, from April 2017 to March 2018. Severity ranged from 1.3% on Pacamara to 15.9% on Maragogype.

Agronomy 10(12), 1867 · doi:10.3390/agronomy10121867

Paredes-Espinosa et al., 2023 – INIA’s arabica collection. Measured 20 traits in 162 accessions of the national institute’s germplasm collection. Yield was negatively correlated with rust incidence and severity, and several groups of accessions were identified as promising for breeding.

Crop Science 63(5), 2877–2893 · doi:10.1002/csc2.20971

Ovalle-Rivera et al., 2015 – Arabica suitability under climate change. Modelled suitability for arabica in the main producing regions by the 2050s. In Peru, Colombia and Ecuador, land below 1,800 m loses suitability while some higher land gains.

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

Contested
  • Size of the crop: USDA gives 4.76 million 60-kg bags for marketing year 2025/26 (April–March), which is 285,840 t (our calculation)1; FAO gives 358,994 t for calendar year 20243; the agriculture ministry gives 352,645 t for 2022 in a table that does not state the form of coffee, while the same statistics chapter labels its coffee area ‘Café pergamino’ (parchment coffee), which in our reading may mean that the tonnes are parchment coffee.6 FAO’s values for 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017–2021 equal the ministry’s after rounding; those for 2013, 2016 and 2022 differ slightly (our reading).2,6 For matching years (marketing year 2021/22 against calendar year 2021, and so on to 2024), USDA’s figures are 31–42% lower than FAO’s; its 2025/26 figure is 20% below FAO’s 2024 value (our calculation).1,2 The sources consulted do not explain the gap; whether the parchment label explains it is our hypothesis, not established.
  • Damage from leaf rust in 2012–2013: SENASA counted 272,049 ha affected of 421,603 ha of coffee in 2013, 64.5% (our calculation)11; the agriculture ministry’s 2018 plan says the rust affected “casi la mitad” (almost half) of the coffee area and wiped out 80,000 ha9; a 2024 study states a 60% fall in the harvest in the 2012–2013 season, and a 2020 study losses of about 60% of the crop, both in their introductions and without data of their own20,19; the ministry’s production series falls by 19.8% from 2012 to 2013 and by 30.6% from 2012 to 2014 (our calculation).6
  • Start of the epidemic: 2012 in the ministry’s plan, which also refers to the attack of 20139; “began in 2013” in USDA’s 2025 report5; the “2012–2013” epidemic in a 2024 study.20 The first emergency decree was published on 4 May 2013.12
  • Variety mix: USDA (2025) gives Typica as over 70% of production and Caturra 20%; a 2024 study repeats these shares, citing USDA’s 2024 Coffee Annual, so it is not an independent source5,20.
  • Organised producers: about 30% of producers belong to an organisation, mainly cooperatives, in the agriculture ministry’s plan9; about 20% in the 2017 baseline study for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which counts 80% of producers as not organised.10
  • Farm size: 85% of producers farm 1–5 ha in the ministry’s plan9; over 90% of Peruvian coffee is grown on plots smaller than 5 ha in USDA’s 2025 report.5 One counts producers, the other coffee.
  • Coffee area: 425,416 ha in the 2012 census7; 423,854 ha harvested in 2022 in the ministry’s series6; 370,000 ha planted and 332,000 ha harvested in 2024/25 in USDA’s post estimate.5 For 2016, the ministry’s plan gives 387,421 ha harvested and its statistics series 383,973 ha.9,6
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Sources

  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, Peru, 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, Peru, 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, Peru, 1961–2024.
  5. ANolte, G. (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Lima) (2025). Peru: Coffee Annual (PE2025-0018). USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, GAIN report.Quoted passage: data; USDA FAS post report, Lima; Peru marketing years 2023/24–2025/26.
  6. AInstituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI) (2023). Perú: Compendio Estadístico 2023, capítulo 13 Agropecuario (cuadro 13.7: Café – superficie cosechada, producción, rendimiento, precios y exportación, 2012-2022). INEI, Lima; data from the Ministerio de Desarrollo Agrario y Riego (MIDAGRI).Quoted passage: data; MIDAGRI coffee statistics via INEI, Peru, 2012–2022.
  7. AInstituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI) (2013). Resultados Definitivos. IV Censo Nacional Agropecuario 2012. INEI, Lima.Quoted passage: data; Peru, agricultural census 2012, area of main crops.
  8. AInstituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI) (2017). Más de 2 millones de productores y productoras agropecuarios celebrarán el Día del Campesino (Nota de prensa N° 135). INEI, Lima.Quoted passage: data; Peru, agricultural censuses 1994 and 2012, change in crop area.
  9. AMinisterio de Agricultura y Riego (MINAGRI) (2018). Plan Nacional de Acción del Café Peruano 2018-2030. MINAGRI, Lima, with technical support of UNDP and Swiss cooperation (SECO); copy hosted by UNDP Peru.Quoted passage: data; Peru, coffee area and production by region 2016 (EMDA); census 2012 producers.
  10. BDíaz Vargas, C.; Willems, M. C. (2017). Línea de Base del Sector Café en el Perú. Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD), Lima.Quoted passage: a description; Consultants’ baseline study of the Peruvian coffee sector for UNDP, 2017.
  11. AServicio Nacional de Sanidad Agraria (SENASA) (2014). Memoria Anual 2013. SENASA, Ministerio de Agricultura y Riego, Lima.Quoted passage: data; Peru, coffee leaf rust 2013; 272,049 ha affected of 421,603 ha of coffee.
  12. APresidencia del Consejo de Ministros, Peru (2013). Decreto Supremo N° 113-2013-PCM: Decreto Supremo que declara el Estado de Emergencia en las zonas cafetaleras de los departamentos de Amazonas, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Cusco, Huánuco, Junín, Pasco, Puno, San Martín, Ucayali y Piura. El Peruano (official gazette), 3 October 2013.Quoted passage: a definition; Supreme decree of 3 October 2013, with its preamble on the earlier decrees.
  13. AMunicipality of Villa Rica; GRAFCA Villa Rica (applicants); INDECOPI (competent authority) (2026). Product specification for Café Villa Rica (protected designation of origin, Peru). UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (GOV.UK).Quoted passage: a definition; PDO specification, Café Villa Rica (Villa Rica district, Oxapampa); 1,000–2,000 m.
  14. ACooperativa Agraria Cafetalera Huadquiña Ltda. N° 109 (applicant) (2026). Product specification for Café Machu Picchu – Huadquiña (protected designation of origin, Peru). UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (GOV.UK).Quoted passage: a definition; PDO specification, Café Machu Picchu – Huadquiña (Cusco).
  15. BAgencia Andina (2018). Café peruano cuenta con 2 denominaciones de origen otorgadas por el Indecopi. Agencia Peruana de Noticias Andina (Editora Perú), 25 August 2018.
  16. AEuropean Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (2022). Agriculture: the EU protects 10 new geographical indications from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. European Commission (news, 17 November 2022).
  17. ATrade Committee, Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom and Colombia, Ecuador and Peru (2026). Decision No 01/2026 of the Trade Committee of 13 May 2026 (UK–Andean countries trade agreement: additional geographical indications). Ministerio de Comercio Exterior y Turismo del Perú (acuerdoscomerciales.gob.pe).
  18. AGovernment of Peru (statement to the International Coffee Council) (2016). Declaración del Excmo. Sr. Claudio De la Puente, Embajador del Perú en el Reino Unido, en ocasión de la reincorporación del Perú como país Miembro de la OIC (ICC-116-10). International Coffee Organization.
  19. ABorjas-Ventura, R.; Alvarado-Huaman, L.; Castro-Cepero, V.; Rebaza-Fernández, D.; Gómez-Pando, L.; Julca-Otiniano, A. (2020). Behavior of Ten Coffee Cultivars against Hemileia vastatrix in San Ramón (Chanchamayo, Peru). Agronomy 10(12), 1867. doi:10.3390/agronomy10121867 · other copiesQuoted passage: the authors’ own result; Field germplasm bank, San Ramón (Junín), 950 m; ten C. arabica cultivars, April 2017 – March 2018.
  20. AJulca-Otiniano, A.; Alvarado-Huamán, L.; Castro-Cepero, V.; Borjas-Ventura, R.; Gómez-Pando, L.; Pereira, A. P.; Nielen, S.; Ingelbrecht, I.; Silva, M. C.; Várzea, V. (2024). New Races of Hemileia vastatrix Detected in Peruvian Coffee Fields. Agronomy 14(8), 1811. doi:10.3390/agronomy14081811 · other copiesQuoted passage: the authors’ own result; 18 leaf rust samples from Puno, Junín, Huánuco and Pasco, race characterisation at CIFC Portugal; variety shares and 60% fall cited.
  21. AParedes-Espinosa, R.; Gutiérrez-Reynoso, D. L.; Atoche-Garay, D.; Mansilla-Córdova, P. J.; Abad-Romaní, Y.; Girón-Aguilar, C.; Flores-Torres, I.; Montañez-Artica, A. G.; Arbizu, C. I.; Amasifuen Guerra, C. A.; Maicelo Quintana, J. L.; Poemape, C.; Guerrero-Abad, J. C. (2023). Agro-morphological characterization and diversity analysis of Coffea arabica germplasm collection from INIA, Peru. Crop Science 63(5), 2877–2893. doi:10.1002/csc2.20971 · other copiesQuoted passage: the authors’ own result; 162 C. arabica accessions of INIA’s germplasm collection, Peru; field characterisation.
  22. AAntezana, R. N. V.; Luna-Mercado, G. I. (2023). Effect of processing methods (washed, honey, natural, anaerobic) of catimor coffee on physical and sensory quality in Alto Inambari, Peru. Coffee Science 18, e182111. doi:10.25186/.v18i.2111 · other copiesQuoted passage: the authors’ own result; Catimor, Alto Inambari (Puno), one lot per method, SCA cupping; Catimor in Puno is a description.
  23. 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, 21 GCMs, scenario A2a; results for Peru, Colombia and Ecuador together.
  24. A(2026). Coffee C® Futures: contract specifications. ICE Futures U.S..
  25. A/BFairtrade International (2023). Fairtrade Living Income Reference Price for Organic Arabica Coffee from Peru (explanatory note). Fairtrade International (listed as 2023).
  26. BDiario Oficial El Peruano (2024). Día del Café Peruano (editorial). Diario Oficial El Peruano, 23 August 2024.
  27. BMarín Ciriaco, G. (Consejo Regulador de la D.O. Café Villa Rica) (2023). Denominación de Origen Café Villa Rica (presentation, ORIGIN biannual conference). oriGIn – Organization for an International Geographical Indications Network.

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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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