The New Map of Mexican Coffee

For decades, Mexico entered international markets with a fairly clear identity: washed Arabica—mild, clean, and balanced. This reputation was built on high-altitude coffees from regions such as Chiapas, Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Puebla, and it still characterizes a significant portion of Mexico's coffee output.

However, Mexico no longer fits neatly into that single category. Behind the familiar cup lies a much more diverse coffee landscape, shaped by hundreds of thousands of small-scale producers, territories with widely varying conditions, and a generation of growers exploring new varieties, processing methods, and marketing approaches.

The country remains one of the world’s leading coffee producers and exporters, with harvests in recent cycles hovering around four million 60-kg bags of green coffee. Yet, the most crucial insight for understanding Mexican coffee may lie not in the volume, but in who produces it and where.

More than half a million coffee growers operate across approximately 480 municipalities. The majority are small-scale Indigenous producers cultivating plots of just one or two hectares—often within agroforestry systems where coffee grows alongside corn, beans, fruit trees, and native vegetation.

A Story Still Being Written

Coffee arrived in Mexico in the 18th century, when French immigrants introduced the first plants to the tropical belt along the Gulf and in the south of the country; these plants found exceptional growing conditions in the nation's tropical and mountainous regions. Veracruz was one of the first major areas of expansion, followed by Chiapas and Oaxaca.

During the 19th century, coffee production took on an export-oriented dimension. In the Soconusco region of southern Chiapas, large estates backed by foreign capital transformed the productive landscape, turning the area into one of Mexico's major coffee-growing hubs.

The 20th century reshaped the landscape once again. Following the Revolution and agrarian reforms, many of those large estates were broken up, and coffee production gradually shifted into the hands of small-scale growers and communities. For several decades, the Mexican Coffee Institute (Inmecafé) played a pivotal role in organizing the supply chain, handling everything from purchasing and technical assistance to marketing and exports.

When Inmecafé ceased operations in the late 1980s, producers had to face a far more open and volatile market. New middlemen arrived, marketing rules changed, and many coffee-growing communities saw their incomes decline.

Then came the major challenge of coffee leaf rust. Starting in 2012, the disease hit Mexico and other Latin American producing countries hard. Aging plantations, low yields, and the need to renew coffee groves accelerated a transformation that is still ongoing.

Yet, new opportunities also emerged from that crisis: fair trade cooperatives, organic production, plantation renewal, new varieties, and—above all—a growing interest in specialty coffees.

Over the last two decades, Mexico has also experienced an expansion of coffee shops, roasters, and consumers interested in learning more about the origin and story behind every cup.

Four regions, hundreds of coffees

Mexico produces coffee in at least 15 states, although Chiapas, Veracruz, Puebla, and Oaxaca account for more than 80% of national production.

However, speaking of these four states as if they were a single origin would mean missing out on much of the story.

Chiapas encompasses everything from the major coffee-growing areas of Soconusco to small indigenous communities nestled in the mountains. Altitude, soil conditions, and diverse production systems result in a vast array of flavour profiles within the state itself.

Veracruz offers another contrast. The traditional regions of Coatepec, Huatusco, and Córdoba are renowned for their Arabica coffees, while new Robusta plantations have gained ground in the lower, warmer areas.

Puebla and Oaxaca, meanwhile, have established an increasingly significant presence in the specialty coffee market. Their mountainous terrain, diverse coffee varieties, and the efforts of numerous producer organizations are helping to broaden the international conversation about the potential of Mexican coffee.

This diversity is also reflected in the coffee varieties themselves.

Typica and Bourbon are part of the history of Mexican coffee, but today they share the landscape with selected, disease-resistant varieties such as Oro Azteca, Marsellesa, Costa Rica 95, and various Sarchimor strains.

For an international buyer, this signifies something important: Mexico is not defined by a single cup profile; it is a map of possibilities.

A recovery that still has a long way to go

Mexican production has seen a gradual recovery following the most severe years of the coffee leaf rust outbreak.

For the 2023/24 season, estimates from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) placed production at around 4.09 million bags—an increase of approximately 15% over the previous cycle.

Forecasts for subsequent cycles have remained close to the four-million-bag mark. Estimates for 2025/26 point to around 3.9 million bags, with approximately 663,000 hectares harvested and average yields hovering between 5.8 and 5.9 bags per hectare.

However, this recovery does not mean the problem has been solved. Yields remain modest relative to the potential of many producing regions. Factors such as the age of coffee plantations, limited access to technology and infrastructure, climate change, and price volatility continue to impact the productivity and income of coffee-farming families.

Therefore, discussing the future of Mexican coffee is not merely about production volume; it is about how to produce better, generate greater value at the source, and build markets capable of recognizing and rewarding that distinction.

Arabica remains the star, but Robusta is no longer a secondary player

For a long time, discussing Mexican coffee was practically synonymous with discussing Arabica.

In the mid-2000s, industry estimates placed Arabica at around 97% of plantations, while Robusta accounted for merely a fraction of the cultivated area. That picture is changing.

For the 2023/24 season, recent estimates placed Mexican production at approximately 3.3 million bags of Arabica and 545,000 bags of Robusta—roughly an 85% to 15% split. Projections for 2025/26 point to around 3.54 million bags of Arabica and 363,000 bags of Robusta.

Beyond harvest-to-harvest fluctuations, the message is clear: Mexican Robusta is no longer just a footnote. Its expansion is driven by factors such as its adaptability to higher temperatures and specific lowland conditions, as well as domestic and international demand that is embracing new perspectives on this species.

And here, another interesting transformation emerges. Mexican Robusta is no longer limited to an industrial role. Whether natural, washed, or processed with greater control at the farm and mill levels, it is beginning to feature in conversations about quality, traceability, and differentiation.

For coffee buyers in Europe and the United States, this opens the door to a still-underexplored category: Mexican Robustas with a distinct origin identity and their own unique production story.

Mexico is expanding its coffee vocabulary

Perhaps the best way to understand the current state of Mexican coffee is to move beyond the notion of a single "Mexican profile."

Just two decades ago, the landscape was far more uniform: sector planning documents estimated that around 97% of plantations were dedicated to Arabica, with a mere 3% to Robusta.

Today, the landscape is much more diverse. Mexico offers everything from classic, elegant washed Arabicas to naturals, honeys, and coffees that explore innovative fermentation and processing methods. Traditional varieties coexist with cultivars selected for disease resistance and adaptability to changing climatic conditions. Mountain-grown Arabicas share the stage with Robustas that thrive in warm, low-lying areas.

Different generations of coffee growers also work side by side: producers who uphold practices passed down through generations alongside others experimenting with varieties, fermentation, and processing to reach new markets.

Yet, amidst this diversity, one thing remains constant: Mexican coffee stays deeply rooted in its specific territories and the small rural communities that produce it.

Mexico is not abandoning its coffee tradition; it is reinterpreting and expanding it.

For international markets, this means that discovering Mexican coffee today involves far more than simply seeking out the next batch of washed Arabica. It means exploring the new regions, varieties, processes, and production methods that are shaping a new generation of Mexican coffees.

If you wish to look beyond traditional profiles and discover the diversity Mexican coffee offers today, we are here to help you connect with its regions, producers, and coffees.

We build commercial bridges between Mexico and international markets, bringing roasters, importers, and coffee businesses closer to new origins and opportunities.

Shall we discuss your next Mexican coffee? Contact us.