How is coffee produced?  

The long and the short of it:

Coffee beans are actually the center of mature red coffee fruits, also know as cherries. These cherries grow on coffee trees. which grows from sea level to approximately 6,000 feet, in a narrow subtropical belt around the world. Coffee trees are an evergreen and grow to heights of 20 feet. To simplify harvesting, the trees are pruned to 8 to 10 feet. Coffee cherries ripen at different times, so they are predominantly picked by hand. It takes approximately 2,000 Arabica cherries to produce just one pound of roasted coffee. Since each cherry contains two beans, your one pound of coffee is derived from 4,000 coffee beans. The production starts with the handpicking of only the mature red coffee fruits (again, known as cherries).
 
The fruit is then removed from the seed by one of two methods. The natural or dry process, where the cherries are dried in the sun or in dryers, and the fruit is then separated from the bean by processing them through a mechanical husker. Or, by a superior soaking method know as the wet process, which produces beans which are referred to as washed coffees.

The two commercially significant species of coffee beans are: coffea arabica, and coffea robusta.

Arabica beans grow best at altitudes over 3,000 feet. This species produces superior quality coffees, which possess the greatest flavor and aromatic characteristics. They typically contain half the caffeine of the robusta beans. Arabica production represents 80% of the world's coffee trade, however, only 10% of this meets speciality coffee standards.
 
  Robusta beans are usually grown at lower elevations. Robusta trees are easier to grow, produce higher yields, and are more disease resistant than the arabica species. Robusta beans usually possess a woody, astringent flavor. They are used when a lower price or additional caffeine is desired. A small percentage is typically added to many Italian espresso blends for the additional crema and complexity they contribute.

Coffee is best produced in high altitude warm climates that have a rich soil, such as countries that run along an ocean with warm tropical climates and good soil formed by eruptions of volcanoes. Over the years, countries in South America have earned the reputation of being the best coffee producers in the world. Countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, India, and now even Hawaii have been making their marks as the top coffee producers of the world.