Robusta beans have a higher caffeine content compared to Arabica and are usually cheaper to cultivate. Robusta is known for its bold, strong and often bitter taste. Arabica is known for its fine, mild aromatic properties and is generally considered a higher-quality coffee bean compared to Robusta coffee. There are two main types of coffee beans used in commercial coffee production – Arabica and Robusta.Īrabica is the most widely consumed form of coffee beans accounting for between 60 to 70 percent of global coffee production.

The infographic below breaks down the coffee production process: (Al Jazeera) What are the different types of coffee? It takes about three to four years for a coffee plant to bear its first harvest. The invigorating drink then spread to other regions across the Arabian Peninsula, such as Yemen and by the 15th century, coffee cultivation and preparation methods had developed to become an integral part of the culture.Ĭoffee trade expanded across the Middle East and made its way to Europe by the 17th century through trade routes across Italy.Īlthough they may resemble beans, “coffee beans” are actually the seeds of the coffee fruit which are found in pairs inside a red coffee cherry. How is coffee produced?Ĭoffee consumption is thought to have its origins dating back as far as the ninth century in the region that is now Ethiopia in East Africa, where wild coffee plants grew naturally. In this infographic series, Al Jazeera visually presents the coffee production process, outlines the various types of coffee and showcases the top coffee-producing nations around the world.

This year’s theme is “promoting the right to a safe and healthy working environment in the coffee supply chain”. Keep reading list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Satellite images show scale of destruction in Israel’s assault on Gaza list 2 of 4 How the US has used its veto power at the UN in support of Israel list 3 of 4 Mapping Gaza’s neighbourhoods flattened by non-stop Israeli bombings list 4 of 4 Mapping the Israel-Palestine war, major events on the ground end of list

Top 3 coffee producing countries