Coffee plants need warm humid weather, such as is found between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.
For this reason it grows in the African, Asian and American equatorial zone.
The Robusta variety is suitable for a range of heights and temperatures and is more resistant to diseases and parasites. The Arabica is a more delicate variety.

Cultivation needs a steady temperature between 15 and 25 degrees and a humid ground, situated in spots sheltered from the wind. The Arabica variety grows at a height of between 900 and 1200  metres, while the Robusta variety grows under 500 metres in plains. The plants could grow to a height of 10 metres, but they are usually pruned when they are approximately three metres high to allow the picking.

During the year there are two or three blooms: between the bloom and the fruit ripening may be six to fourteen months. The yearly production per plant is 1.5 - 2 kg of coffee, apart from the most modern plantations where the level of production is higher.

The greatest manufacturer of coffee is Brasil, followed by Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, India and Guatemala.
The Arabica quality is produced mainly in the South American area; it covers three quarters of the world production, whilst the Robusta variety is produced for the most part in India, Indonesia and Vietnam.