On 1 September 2026, Côte d'Ivoire set the farmgate price of coffee for the 2026-2027 season at 1,300 CFA francs per kilo, down from 1,700 CFA francs when the previous season opened on 1 October 2025. That month, robusta traded around US$3,445 a tonne in London at the end of September, after dipping to about US$3,374 early in the month.
For a buyer, those two numbers say different things. The first is the minimum price guaranteed to Ivorian farmers. The second is the world price, the one an export container is priced against. Here is how to read them, where West and Central African coffee comes from, and how to buy it.
Robusta and arabica: what the region grows
West and Central Africa grow mostly robusta, a hardier, more caffeinated coffee used in blends and in instant coffee.
- Côte d'Ivoire is the region's largest robusta producer. Its coffee is marketed within the framework set by the Conseil du Café-Cacao.
- Cameroon produced 11,637 tonnes of coffee in the 2024-2025 season, of which 10,337 tonnes were robusta, close to 90%, and 1,260 tonnes arabica, grown in the Western highlands.
- Guinea grows Ziama-Macenta robusta, one of the first three geographical indications recognised in 2013 by the African Intellectual Property Organisation.
- Togo and the Democratic Republic of Congo complete the picture, with Kivu arabica in eastern Congo.
The continent's big exporters sit in the east: Uganda for robusta, Ethiopia for arabica. According to the International Coffee Organization, as reported by the Ugandan press, African exports fell 24% year on year in May 2026 to 1.63 million bags, mostly because May 2025 had been a record month for both countries.
The prices that matter
| Benchmark | Price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Robusta, London, end of September 2026 | about US$3,445 per tonne | World reference price, basis for export contracts |
| Côte d'Ivoire farmgate, 2026-2027 | 1,300 CFA francs per kg | Minimum price guaranteed to farmers, for well dried, hulled and sorted coffee |
| Côte d'Ivoire farmgate, 2025-2026 | 1,700 CFA francs per kg | Previous season |
| Cameroon robusta, 2024-2025 | 1,300 CFA francs per kg | Indicative minimum farmgate price |
| Cameroon arabica, 2024-2025 | 2,200 CFA francs per kg | Indicative minimum farmgate price |
At the European Central Bank reference rate of 30 September 2026, US$3,445 a tonne comes to about 1,990 CFA francs a kilo. The Ivorian farmgate price is therefore about two thirds of the London price. The gap pays for collection, drying, sorting, transport to the port, taxes, export costs and the intermediaries' margins.
How to buy green coffee from Africa
You do not buy coffee from a farmer from abroad. You buy it from a licensed exporter, who collects it, prepares it to an agreed quality and ships it.
What to put in writing before you buy:
- Variety and origin: robusta or arabica, country, region, and the geographical indication if there is one.
- Quality: bean size, defect count, moisture. It goes on a specification sheet and is checked on samples.
- Price: fixed, or set against the London market plus or minus a differential.
- Quantity and packing: jute bags or bulk in the container.
- Incoterm: FOB Abidjan, San Pedro or Douala, or delivered to destination. We explain the difference in FOB vs CIF.
- Documents: certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate, quality report, and for the European Union the traceability information required by the deforestation regulation from 30 December 2026 for large operators.
Our view
African coffee too often sells without its name. A Ziama-Macenta robusta, protected by a geographical indication since 2013, goes into the same blends as any other robusta. Yet it is origin, consistent quality and traceability that let a coffee sell above London, not volume.
The September 2026 cut in the Ivorian price follows world markets down. For a buyer, it is a good time to build a lasting relationship with a serious exporter rather than chase the cheapest lot.
Frequently asked questions
What is the robusta coffee price today?
In London, robusta traded around US$3,445 a tonne at the end of September 2026. It moves every day: check ICE Futures Europe before any negotiation.
What is the coffee price in Côte d'Ivoire in 2026?
The farmgate price for the 2026-2027 season is 1,300 CFA francs a kilo, down from 1,700 CFA francs in 2025-2026.
What is the robusta price in Cameroon?
The indicative minimum farmgate price was 1,300 CFA francs a kilo for robusta and 2,200 CFA francs for arabica in the 2024-2025 season.
Can I buy coffee directly from African farmers?
You can contract with a cooperative or an exporter, but exports go through a licensed exporter, who prepares the coffee, supplies the documents and ships it.
Which West African coffee has a geographical indication?
Ziama-Macenta robusta from Guinea, recognised in 2013 by the African Intellectual Property Organisation.
What we do
GraceRoad finds and checks coffee exporters in West and Central Africa on mandate, for a fixed sourcing fee agreed upfront: licence, capacity, quality on samples, documents. We arrange pre-shipment inspection and transport to the port.
Read next: cocoa price 2026: farmgate prices and who can buy beans and EUDR 2026: what changes for African cocoa, coffee and wood.
Sources: Government of Côte d'Ivoire, announcement of 1 September 2026 of the 2026-2027 farmgate prices, reported by Yeclo; KOACI, 1 October 2025, prices for the 2025-2026 season; ICE Futures Europe robusta contract, prices recorded by MacroMicro, end of September 2026; European Central Bank reference rate of 30 September 2026 (US$1.1355 per euro); Cameroon's Office national du cacao et du café (ONCC), review of the 2024-2025 season, reported by EcoMatin; International Coffee Organization, market report for May 2026, cited by Eagle Online; oriGIn and CTA Spore on the Ziama-Macenta geographical indication.