Grows both robusta, the larger crop, and arabica, which is planted on the Bamileke and Bamaoun high plateaus in the west.
Cameroon grows both arabica and robusta, and robusta is the more dominant crop. Arabica plantations sit on the Bamileke and Bamaoun high plateaus, while robusta grows at middle elevations in the West Region and elsewhere. Coffee is grown in seven regions: West, Northwest, Littoral, Southwest, South, Centre and East. Output peaked around 1990, with record exports of 156,000 tons, and later declined.
History
Coffee farming in Cameroon dates to 1884, under German rule, when trial gardens were opened. It spread inland, reached the West Region around 1927 and grew to a record 156,000 tons of exports in 1990. Production then declined, which was attributed to government policy and the global economic crisis. A revival plan launched in 2014 aimed to lift robusta and arabica output by 2020.
Field notes
- i
German colonists began coffee farming in Cameroon in 1884, opening trial gardens at places including Victoria, Ebolowa, Nkongsamba and Dschang.
- ii
By 1928, 200,000 coffee seedlings had been planted in Dschang, after coffee reached the West Region around 1927.
- iii
Cameroon exported a record 156,000 tons of coffee in 1990.
- iv
In the 2014-15 season arabica came to just over 2,000 tonnes, against 21,846 tonnes of robusta.
- v
Java, an arabica named after the Indonesian island, is the variety reported as resistant to coffee berry disease and rust, and a western cooperative union began trialling it in 2015.
Where it growsArabica is grown on the western high plateaus. Robusta is the more dominant crop.
In the cup, according to guides
- AcidityMoreOne retailer guide describes Cameroonian arabica as delicate and complex with high acidity.
- FloralOften notedThe same guide lists fruity and floral notes for the arabica.
Regions of Cameroon
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High plateau areas of western Cameroon where the country's arabica plantations are located.
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Northwest Region highlands (Boyo Hills, Mt Oku) with small-farm washed arabica at roughly 1,500-2,100 m. Lots are described with lemon, caramel and chocolate.
- Littoral / Coastal
Littoral is one of the seven Cameroonian regions where coffee is grown.
Sources · 3 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-10. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Coffee production in Cameroon · Wikimedia Foundation
- The Union Centrale des Cooperatives Agricoles de l'Ouest is testing the Java coffee variety in Cameroon · Business in Cameroon
- Cameroon Coffee: Amazing History & Flavors · Corner Coffee Store