Colombia Grows Some of the World's Best Coffee — So Why Do Colombians Drink So Little of It?

Colombia's coffee is famous from Bogotá to Berlin, yet the people who grow it drink remarkably little of it. Figures presented by the exporters' association Asoexport at the 90th Coffee Summit in Cartagena put annual consumption at just 2.67 kilograms per person — less than half of Brazil's 6.64 kilograms, below Costa Rica's 5.71, and far behind Norway's 8.18. The National Coffee Growers Federation, using slightly different measures, paints the same picture: around 2.5 kilograms per person, versus more than 12 kilograms in Finland.

The timing matters. Colombia harvested 12.56 million 60-kilogram sacks between November 2025 and October 2026, a 15% drop from the previous year, and exports fell 11% to 11.85 million sacks. On top of that, the dollar has weakened about 24% against the peso, costing coffee regions an estimated US$620 million, local prices have slid 32%, and exporters are fighting a proposed 19% tax on coffee that they say would tie up more than US$1.2 billion upfront. Asoexport's president, Gustavo Gomez Montero, argues the country can't depend only on foreign buyers and needs a stronger home market.

The maths is tricky, though. If Colombians drank as much coffee as Brazilians, domestic demand would hit around 5 million sacks — more than double today's roughly 2.3 million. Meeting that while keeping export commitments would require production of 18-20 million sacks a year, about 50% more than current levels. One fix already in play: Colombia imports around 1.6 million sacks of cheaper robusta for domestic use, keeping its prized mild arabica for export. Asoexport suggests growing robusta at home in the eastern plains, and boosting local demand through school meal programmes, better hotel coffee and consumer education.

For travellers, this is the backdrop to every cup you'll order in Colombia — and a good reason to drink locally and well. The country's coffee heartland, the Zona Cafetera around Manizales, Armenia and Pereira, is one of South America's most rewarding regions to explore: farm stays, cupping sessions and steep green hillsides an easy bus ride apart. Ordering specialty Colombian coffee at its source supports growers directly at a moment when the industry is under real pressure, and many fincas now welcome visitors precisely because domestic appreciation is still growing. Ask for a tinto (black coffee) at a corner café, or book a farm tour to see why the arabica here commands premium prices abroad — often more than locals are used to paying for it at home.