báo cà phê—Mexico’s coffee sector is gaining momentum—yet to make the most of its progress, technological investment and modern farming practices will be key.
Although Mexico may not rank among the largest global coffee producers, the industry is showing signs of strength. According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Mexico produced 3.87 million 60-kg bags of coffee in the 2024/2025 harvest, which corresponds to about 2 % of global production.
Approximately 90 % of coffee farms in Mexico are small-scale operations averaging around 2.9 hectares in size.
By comparison, Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia lead the world, with roughly 37 %, 17 % and 8 % of global production respectively.
Over the last decade, Mexico has steadily increased its coffee output despite a challenging period earlier when coffee rust, adverse weather and depressed prices hit producers hard.
Most Mexican farms grow Arabica varieties, but there is growing interest in Robusta. As Henrik Öhman, Chief Commercial Officer of Exportadora de Café California, states: “If you want to increase the volume in Mexico, you have to find a way to industrialise and produce like you do in Brazil or in Vietnam.”
To avoid repeating past downturns, Mexico’s coffee industry must work collaboratively—with banks, universities, private firms and producers—to improve access to irrigation, resource management and scale-up production of varieties such as Robusta. As Osvaldo Ortega, CEO of Exportadora de Café California, points out: “We have land. We have water. We have people, and we have the opportunity.”
Capitalising on trade disruptions
Disruptions in global trade may offer Mexico’s coffee industry a window of opportunity. With U.S. trade policy increasing tariffs on Brazilian goods, Mexico could step in to fill supply gaps. For example, the U.S. imported around USD 1.96 billion worth of coffee from Brazil in 2024, compared with USD 344 million from Mexico.
Öhman argues: “Right now … with the tariffs in the United States, you have another great possibility for Mexico … to be able to export as much as we can to the United States to replace other countries, especially like Brazil.”
That said, he cautions that becoming purely an export hub based on tariff-driven market shifts carries risks: should the tariffs be removed, companies that have bought expensive coffee to fill a gap may end up with surplus.
What policymakers can do
Government action could help strengthen Mexico’s coffee supply chain. According to Ortega, one key barrier is the restriction on importing new coffee varieties: “Right now, it is very difficult to enter Mexico with some varieties. We spent at least three or four years for permission.”
Another initiative, Sembrando Vida, aimed at helping rural farmers plant trees including coffee, has not yet translated into clear increases in production: although smallholders received about 100 million coffee plants six years ago, the expected production boost hasn’t emerged.
In summary: Mexico’s coffee industry is showing promise and finds itself in a favourable position amid global trade upheavals. But to truly scale and secure long-term growth, it must invest in technology, enable the importation of improved coffee varieties, and build the infrastructure and partnerships that support sustainable, competitive production.
