10/01/2026
☕🌱 INTERNATIONAL COFFEE DAY | October 1
For most of us, coffee is a morning ritual. For millions of people around the world, it’s also a crop, a livelihood and a major global agricultural commodity.
So what does agriculture have to do with that cup of coffee sitting beside you?
Pretty much everything.
Coffee comes from plants in the genus Coffea, primarily Arabica (Coffea arabica) and Robusta (Coffea canephora). These are perennial evergreen plants that thrive in tropical climates, generally within the belt between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
And that familiar coffee “bean”? It’s actually a seed.
Coffee plants produce fragrant white flowers that develop into fruits commonly called coffee cherries. Inside each cherry are typically two seeds—the green coffee beans that will eventually be processed, roasted and ground.
But getting from flowering plant to coffee cup involves a surprisingly complex agricultural system.
🌿 Production: Coffee is grown under a wide range of conditions, from smallholder farms to large commercial operations. Variety selection, elevation, temperature, rainfall, soil fertility, shade management and plant health all influence production and quality.
🦠 Pest & disease management: Coffee producers contend with insects and diseases such as the coffee berry borer and coffee leaf rust. Plant genetics, cultural practices, biological controls and other integrated approaches are important tools in protecting the crop.
🍒 Harvest & processing: Coffee cherries must be harvested at the appropriate stage of ripeness. Depending on the production system and market, cherries may be processed using different methods—including washed, natural or honey processing—which can influence the characteristics of the finished coffee.
🔥 Roasting: The green seed bears little resemblance to the dark, aromatic coffee bean we recognize. Roasting triggers a complex series of chemical reactions that develop the color, aroma and flavors associated with coffee.
🌎 Global agriculture: Coffee is produced in more than 70 countries and supports the livelihoods of millions of farming households. Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia are among the world's leading producers.
And just like any other agricultural commodity, coffee production is influenced by weather, markets, genetics, pests, disease, input costs and changing production conditions. Agricultural research plays an important role in helping producers address those challenges.
That morning cup represents far more than caffeine. It represents plants, soils, weather, biology, management, labor, processing, transportation and markets—all connected through agriculture.
So on October 1, as you reach for that first cup, take a second to appreciate the agricultural system behind it. ☕🌱
Happy International Coffee Day from OSU Extension!
Research-based education connects agriculture, communities and the food and products we use every day.
