From the close of the seventeenth century on, coffee growing spread to the Dutch Indies. Over the following decades, cultivation started up in South America.

Nowadays, coffee production takes place almost exclusively in Central America, Brazil and Vietnam.

Coffee production takes place basically between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Coffee requires a hot, moist climate and a temperature range of 4-37°C.

Coffee plants require abundant water and suffer if overexposed to sunlight. Altitude is also an important factor, since the plants must be protected against sharp day-night temperature changes.