Africa

African coffees are diverse and exciting, from the "birthplace of coffee"—Ethiopia—to the small-holder farms of Kenya. On the African continent, arabica coffee mainly comes from the nations of East Africa. Arabica has been in these forests for millennia, developing diverse species and varieties. It originated from the western forest of Ethiopia and the Boma Plateau of Sudan.

From the Kafa zone, it spread to the eastern areas of Harar in Ethiopia and across the Red Sea to Yemen. It was there where it was grown specifically for trading within the Arabic world and beyond. From Yemen, it went to Reunion Island—née Bourbon—the source of the eponymous variety. Then, bourbon coffee was planted throughout East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and beyond. Find more information on African coffee in our Coffee Library.