Buying coffee from Brazil: arabica, conilon, regions and what to check
Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and exporter, supplying everything from commercial blend coffee to competition microlots. This guide gives the key numbers, the regions and processes you will see on offers, and what to check before you buy.
Updated November 1, 2026 · 3 sources
Brazil coffee in numbers
The USDA forecast Brazil's 2025/26 crop (July to June) at about 65 million 60 kg bags: 40.9 million arabica and a record 24.1 million robusta, which Brazilians call conilon. Exports were forecast at about 41.75 million bags. In 2024 the top buyers were the United States (15%), Germany (14%), Italy, Belgium and Japan. Brazil also drinks a lot of its own coffee, about 22 million bags a year.
Regions
| State | Coffee |
|---|---|
| Minas Gerais (South of Minas, Cerrado Mineiro, Matas de Minas) | The largest arabica state by far: naturals and pulped naturals |
| Espírito Santo | About 70% of Brazil's robusta (conilon), plus arabica in the mountains |
| São Paulo (Mogiana) | Arabica, often naturals with chocolate and nut notes |
| Bahia | Arabica from the Chapada Diamantina and the irrigated west, plus conilon |
| Rondônia | Robusta, including improved Amazonian robustas |
See the Brazil lots page for harvest months and current offers.
Processing and grades
Most Brazilian arabica is natural (dried in the cherry) or pulped natural, called cereja descascado, which gives the sweet, low-acid, chocolatey cups Brazil is known for. Fully washed Brazil is rarer. Offers are described by screen size (for example 17/18), defect type (such as NY 2/3) and cup (such as "fine cup" or "strictly soft"). Read processing methods and the grading guide.
What to check before you buy
- The crop year and whether the coffee is arabica or conilon: they trade against different futures markets. See how coffee prices work.
- Screen, defects, moisture and a cup description written into the contract, plus a pre-shipment sample.
- Bag size: Brazil uses 60 kg bags and often ships 320 bags per 20-foot container. See shipping green coffee.
- For the EU, geolocation of the farms for EUDR. Brazil's large farms usually have it; ask early for smallholder lots. See the EUDR guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much coffee does Brazil produce?
The USDA forecast about 65 million 60 kg bags for 2025/26, of which about 41 million arabica and 24 million robusta (conilon).
What is conilon?
Brazil's name for robusta (Coffea canephora). Most of it grows in Espírito Santo, with more in Rondônia and Bahia.
What does cereja descascado mean?
Brazil's pulped natural process: the cherry skin is removed and the coffee dries with its sticky mucilage, giving sweet, round cups.
Sources
- Daily Coffee News: Brazil coffee report, exports set to fall despite record revenue and robusta growth (on the USDA FAS Coffee Annual, May 2025) ↗
- USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: Brazil Coffee Annual ↗
- Royal Coffee: Coffee weights and container loads by origin ↗
Checked on November 1, 2026. Laws, rules and prices change: always check the official source before you trade. This guide is general information, not legal advice.