The History of Coffee Cultivation

Where It All Began: Ethiopia

The roots of coffee cultivation lie in the heart of East Africa – in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. As early as the 9th century, people were already using the coffee plant, long before the invigorating drink conquered the world. In the Ethiopian highlands, coffee cherries were first gathered from wild plants and later cultivated intentionally.
To this day, Ethiopia is considered one of the most authentic and diverse coffee-growing regions in the world – and that’s exactly why part of our beans come from there.

👉 Want to dive deeper? Check out our in-depth article “Coffee from Ethiopia – The Birthplace of Coffee.”
👉 Or discover the continent’s diversity in our overview “Coffee from Africa – Origin, Variety and Flavor.”

From the Horn of Africa to the Arab World

Around the 15th century, the coffee plant made its way to Yemen via trade routes – and this is where the real refinement of coffee began:

• This is where coffee was first roasted, ground and brewed in a way similar to how you enjoy it today.
• The port city of Mocha (al-Mukha) became an international hotspot for the coffee trade.
• The Arab world strictly controlled the coffee monopoly – exporting coffee plants was forbidden.

From Yemen, coffee spread throughout the Islamic world. In cities like Mecca, Cairo and Damascus, the first coffee houses emerged – places full of conversation, aroma and inspiration.

Europe Breaks the Monopoly

Stories about the new dark, energizing drink circulated throughout Europe. But getting hold of coffee plants was nearly impossible. It wasn’t until the 17th century that Dutch botanists managed to smuggle plants to Amsterdam and propagate their own seedlings.

This marked the beginning of large-scale coffee cultivation outside Arabia:

• 1658: Start of coffee cultivation in Sri Lanka
• Afterwards came Java, Sumatra, Bali, Timor and other islands of the Dutch colonial empire
•  Early 18th century: Expansion to South America – Suriname became one of the first plantation regions

These developments finally brought an end to the Arab coffee monopoly.

Coffee Conquers Central and South America

In the 18th century, European colonial powers discovered the enormous potential of coffee. They brought the plant across the Atlantic, laying the foundation for today’s coffee powerhouses:

• England: Jamaica
• Portugal: Brazil – now the largest coffee producer in the world
• Spain: Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala

Thanks to fertile soils, ideal climate and vast areas of arable land, the region quickly developed into the center of global coffee production.

The Global Coffee Belt

By the late 18th century, coffee was established along the equator – in what is now known as the coffee belt. This zone offers ideal conditions for high-quality coffee:

• stable, moderate temperatures
• sufficient rainfall
• nutrient-rich, often volcanic soils
• altitudes between 800 and 2,200 meters

What was once a luxury product became a drink that connects the world – and one of the most important cultivated plants in human history.

Today: Coffee as a Global Commodity

Today, coffee is grown in more than 70 countries. It is one of the most important agricultural commodities and among the most traded goods worldwide. The diversity of varieties, origins and processing methods has never been greater. Coffee is no longer just a drink – it is a piece of global culture.

If you want to experience this diversity for yourself, you’ll find a carefully curated selection of different coffee varieties in our range, each reflecting this rich history and the worldwide development of coffee cultivation.