Coffee’s Long Journey Earns a Day of Its Own
From Hillside Farms to Cafés, Coffee Honoured
UN Raises a Cup to Coffee’s Global Story
Rome/New York: The world’s most familiar aroma—rising from kitchen counters, street-corner kettles and neighbourhood cafés—has now been given a permanent place on the global calendar. The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution proclaiming October 1 as International Coffee Day, formally recognising a beverage that fuels daily routines while quietly sustaining millions of livelihoods around the world.
Approved on Tuesday in New York, the resolution acknowledges coffee’s deep cultural and historical imprint on societies across continents. From its origins in the highlands of East Africa to modern cafés and households across the globe, coffee has evolved into far more than a drink. According to the resolution, it represents a tradition passed through generations, a symbol of hospitality and conversation, and a commodity that links rural producers with global markets.
The decision has been welcomed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which had earlier advanced the proposal within the UN system. The idea was first endorsed during the 44th session of the FAO Conference in 2025 before being forwarded to the General Assembly for formal adoption.
For the millions who cultivate coffee, the recognition carries particular significance. The crop is grown largely by smallholder farmers, many of whom work modest plots of land on steep mountain slopes in tropical regions. Their harvests travel across an elaborate global network—processed, roasted and transported across continents before ending up in the cups that anchor daily rituals in homes and cafés worldwide.
“Coffee is more than a beverage, it is a globally traded commodity — from beans to the coffee service — that sustains the livelihoods of millions of farming households and connects rural communities to markets across the world,” said Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the FAO. Recognising the sector’s value, he noted, can help strengthen awareness of its socio-economic importance and reinforce its contribution to reducing poverty.
Coffee’s influence reaches far beyond the café table. It remains one of the most widely consumed beverages on the planet, with global per-capita consumption rising by roughly 1.2 per cent annually over the past decade. The sector now supports the livelihoods of around 25 million farmers and generates employment across every stage of the value chain, from cultivation and processing to trading, roasting and retail.
Altogether, the global coffee industry produces more than 200 billion dollars in annual revenue. The beans themselves rank among the world’s most widely traded agricultural commodities. In 2024, global coffee production exceeded 11 million tonnes, with roughly eight million tonnes entering international trade. That same year, the value of global coffee production was estimated at nearly 25 billion dollars, while trade in coffee beans alone reached about 34 billion dollars.
For several developing nations, coffee is not merely an export crop but a pillar of economic stability. In Ethiopia—widely regarded as the birthplace of coffee—the commodity accounted for nearly 27.9 per cent of total merchandise exports in 2024. In Uganda, the share reached about 20.1 per cent, while in Burundi it stood at roughly 19.5 per cent.
In both Ethiopia and Uganda, revenues from coffee exports exceeded the countries’ food import bills, highlighting the crop’s critical role in sustaining national economies. In Burundi, meanwhile, coffee export earnings represented nearly one-fifth of the country’s food import bill.
The geography of coffee illustrates a striking global interdependence. Tropical climates nurture the crop, making countries such as Brazil and Viet Nam the world’s leading exporters. Meanwhile, the biggest importers lie far from the plantations themselves. The European Union and the United States together account for a substantial share of global coffee imports, supplying roasting houses, cafés and supermarkets across their markets.
Yet coffee’s journey from hillside farms to urban espresso bars also reflects broader global challenges. The new international observance highlights the role of the coffee sector in advancing the development priorities of the United Nations, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals. Coffee cultivation contributes to efforts to reduce extreme poverty and hunger, create decent employment, and empower women who play key roles in farming, harvesting and processing the crop.
At the same time, the sector faces mounting pressures. Climate change is already reshaping traditional coffee landscapes as rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and the spread of pests threaten yields in many growing regions. Smallholder farmers, who produce the majority of the world’s coffee, are often the most vulnerable to these environmental changes.
To help address these challenges, FAO has been working with producing countries and communities on a range of initiatives aimed at strengthening the resilience of coffee systems. In Panama, farmer field school programmes support pest management while preserving traditional coffee landscapes that combine cultivation with biodiversity conservation. In parts of East Africa, agroforestry approaches encourage farmers to grow coffee under the shade of trees, improving soil health and helping plantations adapt to changing climatic conditions.
Institutional support has also focused on improving market access for producers. Global coffee markets increasingly require proof that beans are produced sustainably and can be traced back to their origin. Projects supported by FAO in countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and Uganda aim to establish traceability systems and align national policies with emerging international sustainability frameworks.
These initiatives are expected to mobilise investment benefiting more than 200,000 smallholder producers, helping them meet evolving market requirements while strengthening their economic prospects.
Financing remains another crucial ingredient in the future of the sector. Through its Investment Centre and programmes such as the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, FAO works with governments and partners to unlock funding that strengthens rural livelihoods. Collaborative projects with institutions including the World Bank have helped improve efficiency and farmers’ incomes in countries such as Costa Rica, Brazil and Honduras. In El Salvador, FAO has supported the development of a comprehensive national coffee plan aimed at revitalising the sector.
With October 1 now designated as International Coffee Day, FAO has been invited to facilitate the annual observance in collaboration with relevant organisations, particularly the International Coffee Organization. The day is intended to become a platform for collaboration, knowledge-sharing and action across the entire coffee value chain.
For consumers, the recognition may simply offer another reason to celebrate a cherished beverage. But for millions of farmers who cultivate coffee on distant hillsides, it represents something more enduring: a moment of global attention on the crop that sustains their communities and connects them to the wider world.
Each cup of coffee carries within it a long and intricate journey—from the careful picking of cherries at dawn to the roasting houses, shipping routes and cafés that bring the beans to life in cities thousands of kilometres away. By dedicating a day to coffee, the international community is acknowledging not just a drink, but the people, traditions and livelihoods that make that daily ritual possible.
– global bihari bureau
