If you're interested in geography, travel, or expanding your worldview, you've probably heard
of the country Guinea. But you may also know that the name “Guinea” appears in four countries and
one external territory:
1. Guinea (officially the Republic of Guinea)
2. Guinea-Bissau
3. Equatorial Guinea
4. Papua New Guinea
5. Western New Guinea (also known as Indonesian New Guinea) — the western half of the
island of New Guinea, governed by Indonesia
In addition, “Guinea” is part of the names of various geographic regions, national parks,
forests, savannahs, and more. Why there are so many "Guineas" is a fascinating topic — feel free to
explore it online! For now, let’s focus on coffee production.
Guinean Coffee
All four countries named "Guinea" produce coffee. However, on the Ukrainian market, you’ll
occasionally find coffee from Papua New Guinea, and rarely from Equatorial Guinea. But coffee from
the Republic of Guinea — the “main” Guinea — is practically non-existent (unless you visit the
country yourself or a few importer nations such as Senegal, Morocco, or Algeria).
Why? The answer is simple: poor quality beans.
Coffee contributes only about 0.8% of Guinea’s GDP, with annual production ranging from
4,200 to 14,800 metric tons, or about 0.03–0.15% of global coffee output. 100% of the country’s
coffee is Robusta, generating a maximum of about $73 million USD per year.
These are approximate figures — estimates vary widely between research organizations,
indicating that Guinea lacks reliable internal statistics.
A Declining Industry
In recent years, more local farmers have shifted to other crops, as coffee production has been
steadily declining.
• In 2015/16, production was estimated at 16–16.8 thousand tons
• By 2018/19, it had fallen to 4.2–14.8 thousand tons, depending on the source
The drop is due to a mix of economic, climatic, and health-related factors — including the Ebola
outbreak in 2017.
No Incentive for Quality
Coffee farming in Guinea involves thousands of smallholder farmers, usually families with no
professional training. According to a UN market report, no one supports specialty-grade coffee
production — not the government, nor any major buyers.
So, farmers lack any economic motivation to produce high-quality beans.
• Most cherries are harvested before they’re ripe
• Fertilizers are rarely used
• There is no irrigation or land management
• Post-harvest processing and roasting are virtually absent
In many cases, unripe green cherries are stripped by hand from branches, packed into sacks,
and sold to middlemen at low prices — just to make quick cash and move on to other means of
survival.
The Potential That Was Lost
Guinea has around 210,000 hectares of coffee-growing land, with cultivation elevations of
700–800 meters above sea level — the bare minimum for decent Arabica and a standard elevation for
mid-grade Robusta.
Historically, however, it was a different story.
In the early 1960s, Guinean coffee was considered premium quality — even specialty-grade. Up
to 90–95% of exports were high-grade Arabica and top-tier Robusta. At that time, coffee was grown
at elevations of 1,400–2,000 meters, with ideal temperatures of 18–24°C and around 1,000 mm of
rainfall per year.
Today, Guinean coffee is purchased largely for its low price.
Export Markets (by % share)
• Morocco – 70%
• Netherlands – 9%
• France – 5%
• Germany, Jordan, Italy, Algeria – 3% each
• Senegal – 2%
•Belgium, Poland – 1% each
These countries typically process Guinean beans for the mass-market segment, using them in
low-grade blends or to stretch Arabica-based products.
A Forgotten Specialty Legacy
It’s a shame that Guinea's once-promising specialty coffee industry has been abandoned.
A
country with high-altitude land, tropical climate, and rich soil could have produced exceptional
beans. But without support, infrastructure, or incentives, the sector has withered into irrelevance.