Where coffee grows: the Bean Belt.
Coffee is a tropical plant. Most of it is grown in a band around the Earth near the equator, often called the Bean Belt.
A plant that needs the tropics
Coffee trees need steady warmth, plenty of rain and no heavy frost. Those conditions are found largely within the tropics, between about 25° north and 30° south, according to the National Coffee Association. That is why Montréal cannot grow coffee outdoors and Costa Rica can.
Coffee is grown in more than 40 countries across three broad regions: the Americas (for example Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Brazil and Colombia), Africa (for example Ethiopia, Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire) and Asia (for example India, Indonesia and Vietnam).
Three regions inside the belt
- AmericasMexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Brazil, Colombia
- AfricaEthiopia, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire
- AsiaIndia, Indonesia, Vietnam
Why the same belt gives different coffees
Latitude sets the range. Inside it, elevation, rainfall, soil, shade and processing all shape the cup. The coffees of two farms a few hours apart can show very different flavour profiles.
Costa Rica sits at about 10° north, well inside the belt. Guanacaste, in the north-west, is where Monte Romo is grown.
Harvest follows the local seasons
Coffee is harvested when the cherries ripen, and that follows each region’s rainy and dry seasons. Harvest months therefore differ from one growing region to the next.
General coffee information, not a statement about Monte Romo. Figures come from the sources listed below and vary by farm, season and brewer. We have not yet confirmed Monte Romo’s variety, elevation, processing or harvest method.
Sources and further reading
References checked October 13, 2026.