Coffee without origin – What you're drinking when the package says nothing

Most coffee roasters do not disclose where their raw coffees come from. Instead, communication is dominated by brand names or emotions. The fact is: almost all roasters buy and roast the same raw coffees as everyone else. We give you tips on how you can still guess what you're drinking.

When we conducted our second tasting of Italian espresso, we noticed how hardly any roastery declared the origin of the coffees they used. Instead, there was talk of "balanced blends" and "carefully selected" raw coffees.

And this is not an isolated case.

Exactly the same applies to many coffees that are drunk daily in Germany, Switzerland, and throughout Europe. So if no information about the origin is provided – what are we actually drinking?

Many forgo transparent origin information. No country, no region, no farm, no processing method. Why exactly?

Why the origin is not mentioned

There are several reasons why roasters forgo origin information.

Flexibility in blending:

The components of a blend can be adjusted depending on market availability and price fluctuations. This substitution is standard practice. As long as the coffee tastes the same, coffees are swapped. Especially in times like now, when prices have risen sharply, blends are remixed to offset price increases.

There must be no sensory deviation, but in terms of content, especially the constantly available blends look different again and again. A classic example of this is the substitution between washed coffees from Honduras and Peru: in both countries, coffee is washed and processed for large volumes. The general character of the two coffees is similar, nutty and citric notes are in the foreground.

These coffees are often described as "cheap acidity components" - at least before November 2024, before prices rose sharply. Additionally, Honduras is in the northern hemisphere and Peru in the southern hemisphere, so the harvest times are staggered. Ideally, there is always fresh coffee from these countries, which makes substitution even easier, but especially increases procurement flexibility.

Branding takes priority – not the content

We are repeatedly amazed by a brand self-understanding that apparently trumps transparency. There are indeed roasters that specify a blend ratio based on the varieties used, mostly Arabica and Robusta.

We then read, for example, "100% Arabica" - if we used this specification alone for wine, it would be as precise as: 100% wine from red grapes. That could be better.

Even more superficial, however, is this description: coffee with "the best beans from the best growing regions in the world." This is not only very simplified marketing speak, but above all, it is remarkably anachronistic in 2025 and leaves consumers in the dark.

No accountability to consumers

There is no obligation in Switzerland or the EU to disclose the exact origin (country, region) or variety, cultivar, or processing method on the coffee package, as long as no misleading information is provided.

However, if an origin is stated voluntarily, it must be correct. It is permissible to name a higher-level geographic area (such as "South America") instead of a country. The statement "100% Arabica" is allowed, provided it is true.

Transparency is voluntary, but if stated, then correctly and not misleadingly. The EUDR deforestation regulation coming into effect in 2026 does demand transparency, but only between the party placing the product on the market and EU authorities.

The regulation requires importers and traders to be able to prove the exact origin (down to the plantation) to rule out deforestation. However, this information does not necessarily have to appear on the packaging for end consumers, and will probably not be handled by any roaster that way.

What we can still know (or figure out)

Even if nothing is stated on the package, contextual knowledge, sensory analysis, and two reliable sources help clarify the picture: The Coffee Report 2024 by Brand Eins and Tchibo shows which countries export the most coffee. And the European Coffee Report 2023/24 proves:

Over 58% of coffee imported to Europe comes from just two countries: Brazil and Vietnam.

This comes as little surprise because Brazil and Vietnam are the world's largest coffee-producing countries. Brazil produced 66.4 million 60kg bags of coffee, Vietnam 30.1 million. Or put differently: Brazil produced 38% and Vietnam 17% of the global coffee supply. These are followed by Colombia with 7% and Indonesia with 6% (see statistics).

Coffees from Brazil and Vietnam are therefore used almost universally in most coffee products. It should be noted that Vietnam exports almost exclusively Robustas, and Brazil is the largest Arabica producer but the second-largest Robusta (Conilon) producer.

If we look at the statistics of the European Coffee Report, we can read a great deal from them.

Germany imported the most coffee of the 27 EU states, from 2021-2023 it was almost 34% of all imports into the EU. Some of the largest roasters such as Tchibo, Dallmayr and Co. are in Germany and purchase coffee. Italy is the second-largest importer and purchased 23.5% of all raw coffees into the EU during the same period. These are followed by Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands.

The largest importers in the EU

Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands accounted for more than 82% of total raw coffee imports to Europe in 2023. The largest roasters in the mentioned countries are:

• Germany: Tchibo, Jacobs Douwe Egberts
• Italy: Lavazza, Illycaffè
• Belgium: Miko Coffee
• Spain: Cafés Candelas
• Netherlands: Douwe Egberts

Cutting costs on raw coffee - a "race to the bottom"

Particularly interesting is this graph, which says a lot about the competitive pressure between coffee roasters. From 2021-23 we see a sharp decline in imports of Brazilian coffee and a sharp increase in coffee from Vietnam on the other hand.

What does this mean?

Since largely Arabica coffees from Brazil are imported into the EU, these were apparently replaced with Robusta from Vietnam. And because the latter became increasingly cheaper during the same period, it's clear that not only sensory aspects were being tinkered with here, but above all costs.

But today things look different: Robusta became more expensive and is now twice as expensive as Arabica from Brazil in 2023. Compared to this, Robusta is still cheaper today.

If nothing is stated on the packaging, the probability is very high that the roasted coffee originates to a large extent from Brazil and Vietnam.

Uganda ranks third with 7.8% for coffee from the most imported countries of origin.

In Uganda, over 70% Robusta is produced and exported - so here too, the suspicion is that there are price reasons why Uganda is so important for the EU market. On the other hand, we see far more organically certified cooperatives in Uganda. Therefore: organically certified Robusta in Germany comes largely from Uganda.

Mass products vs. specialties

The import data also show: countries like Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, or Costa Rica also export to the EU. However, in significantly smaller quantities, and often for the specialty market.

What makes coffee from these countries special?

Ethiopia

• is famous for floral and fruity coffees. In Ethiopia, coffees are divided by grades, with Grade 1 coffees representing the highest quality
• for the mass market, Grade 3 and Grade 4 coffees are often used, which are less uniform and clean, but still retain the original taste characteristics
• often just a few percent in a blend is enough for the coffee to smell different, especially in its aroma, and thus stand out from the crowd

Peru, Honduras, Mexico

• are among the leading exporters of dual-certified (organic and fair trade) coffee. These are usually washed, citric coffees, and are often substituted

But: what happened to Colombia, as the third-largest coffee producer?

Switzerland in comparison

The graphic from the Swiss Sustainable Coffee Platform shows: In Switzerland too, most coffee comes from Brazil, but the structure is much more diverse. And: much less Robusta is imported.