Cafe International: What Is International Coffee Day (October 1)?

If you are looking up cafe international celebrations, the big one is International Coffee Day, held every year on October 1. It was launched by the International Coffee Organization (ICO), whose member countries agreed on the date in March 2014; the first official celebration took place in Milan during Expo 2015. In March 2026, the United Nations General Assembly also proclaimed October 1 as International Coffee Day, giving it official UN status.

Its purpose goes beyond free refills: the day celebrates coffee as a drink and draws attention to the millions of farmers who grow it. Here is who is behind it, how it differs from America's National Coffee Day and how to mark it at home.

Who Started International Coffee Day?

The International Coffee Organization is an intergovernmental body, founded in London in 1963, that brings together coffee-exporting and coffee-importing governments. It grew out of the International Coffee Agreement, a treaty whose economic quotas collapsed in 1989, a story we tell in The International Coffee Agreement and Its 1989 Collapse.

At an ICO Council meeting held March 3–7, 2014, member states decided to create one official, worldwide coffee day and set it on October 1. The first edition was celebrated in Milan, Italy, as part of Expo 2015, a world's fair whose theme centered on food.

Before that, many countries already had their own coffee days on different dates. Japan's coffee association promoted one as early as 1983, and the US had a “National Coffee Day” in use by the mid-2000s. The ICO's goal was to unite these celebrations under a single global date.

The 2026 United Nations Resolution

In March 2026, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming October 1 as International Coffee Day. The text had first been adopted at the 44th session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2025 before going to the General Assembly.

The resolution recognizes coffee's cultural, social and historical importance and links coffee production to several Sustainable Development Goals, including ending poverty and hunger, gender equality and decent work. FAO is invited to facilitate the observance, working with partners such as the ICO. You can read the announcement on the FAO newsroom.

What Is the Purpose of Cafe International Day?

International Coffee Day has two goals that sit side by side:

• Celebrate coffee. It is a day to enjoy the drink and the culture around it, from espresso bars to coffee ceremonies.
• Support the people who grow it. Most of the world's coffee comes from smallholder farms in tropical countries. The day highlights the challenges they face, including low and volatile prices and a changing climate.

Each year, organizers usually choose a theme focused on farmers, sustainability or the coffee value chain. If you want to understand those issues more deeply, our guides to coffee and climate change and what fair trade coffee means are good starting points.

International Coffee Day vs National Coffee Day

Americans often mix up the two because they fall only a couple of days apart.

For a calendar of both days and how other countries celebrate, see our guide to National Coffee Day and International Coffee Day dates.

Ways to Celebrate International Coffee Day

1. Taste the world. Brew coffees from three continents side by side: an African, a Latin American and an Asian coffee. Notice the differences in acidity, body and sweetness.
2. Learn where your coffee comes from. Read the bag. Our guide on how to read a coffee label explains origin, process and roast date.
3. Try a new brewing method. If you always use a drip machine, try a French press, pour-over or moka pot.
4. Make a drink from another culture. Turkish coffee, Vietnamese iced coffee or Mexican café de olla are all easy at home.
5. Host a coffee break. Invite friends or coworkers for a tasting and some baked goods.
6. Learn about the farmers. Spend ten minutes reading about how coffee is grown and harvested, or how much coffee the world drinks; our article on world coffee consumption is a quick start.

A simple three-origin tasting

Use the same method for all three so the beans are the only variable: 15 g of coffee (about 2 level tablespoons, ground) to 250 ml (about 8.5 oz) of water just off the boil, steeped 4 minutes in a French press. Taste each one hot, then again as it cools, and jot down one word for each.

Cafe International and International Coffee Day FAQ

When is International Coffee Day?

International Coffee Day is on October 1 every year. The date was set by the International Coffee Organization in 2014 and proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2026. US National Coffee Day is separate, on September 29.

Who created International Coffee Day?

The International Coffee Organization, an intergovernmental group of coffee-producing and coffee-consuming countries, launched it. Member states agreed on it in March 2014, and the first official celebration was at Expo 2015 in Milan.

Is International Coffee Day a UN day?

Yes. In March 2026, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming October 1 as International Coffee Day, with FAO invited to facilitate the observance together with partners including the ICO.

How can I celebrate International Coffee Day at home?

Try coffees from different origins side by side, brew a traditional drink from another country or share coffee with friends. Learning a little about how coffee is grown fits the spirit of the day.

Raise a Cup on October 1

International Coffee Day is a reminder that every cup connects you to a farm somewhere in the tropics. At Feel Espresso, every order is roasted 1–5 days before delivery and arrives in 2–5 days, so your tasting can be as fresh as it gets. Explore our single origin coffees, pair the Kenya with the Colombia for an easy comparison, or start with the Best Sellers Sample Pack.