Rare coffee species and varieties can become more revered for a number of reasons, including their high cup quality and desirable sensory profiles. However, some varieties are also sought after because of their unusual physical characteristics, such as large bean size.

One of these is Maragogipe (or Maragogype) – a natural mutation of Typica, which is one of the most genetically important arabica varieties in the coffee industry. Maragogipe produces very large cherries and beans, which ultimately has an impact on how you process and roast it.

To learn more about Maragogipe, as well as whether there is a wider market for this variety, I spoke with three coffee professionals. Read on to find out more.

You may also like our article on how El Salvador can leverage Pacamara coffee like Panama leveraged Gesha.

Where did Maragogipe come from?

According to World Coffee Research, the variety was first discovered in 1870 in the municipality of Maragogipe in Bahia, northeast Brazil – hence its name. 

It’s believed that Maragogipe is a natural mutation of Typica, which has historically been known for its large bean size and high cup quality. As a result of its single dominant gene, Maragogipe produces unusually large leaves, cherries, and beans – which has led many coffee professionals to name it the “elephant bean”.

Researchers have also concluded that Maragogipe is a parent species of Pacamara and Maracaturra, which both yield very large beans. While the latter originated from Nicaragua, the former grows primarily in El Salvador, where it frequently receives high scores at annual Cup of Excellence competitions.

Gerson Silva Giomo is a Scientific Researcher at Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) in Brazil.

Up until the 1950s, Gerson explains that it was common to find small numbers of Maragogipe plants growing in some of the main coffee-growing regions in Brazil. 

“Because of its low yields, Maragogipe has never been grown on a large commercial scale,” he explains.

Although the variety’s potential cup quality is very high when grown at high altitudes, its yield potential is not. Moreover, Maragogipe is also highly susceptible to several pests and diseases, including:

• Coffee leaf rust
• Coffee berry disease
• Nematodes

Mauricio Salvaverra is a producer at Divisadero Coffee in El Salvador.

“Before the 1950s and 1960s, more farms in El Salvador used to grow Maragogipe,” he explains. “However, because of its low yields and susceptibility to la roya (coffee leaf rust), more farmers started to grow Bourbon and Pacamara.” 

Declines in production

Gerson tells me that because it produces lower yields, many farmers in Brazil began to replace Maragogipe with more productive varieties – such as Mundo Novo. 

“Today, the production of Maragogipe in Brazil is largely limited to a small number of farms who cater to customers looking for larger-sized beans,” he says. 

Despite the challenges associated with its production, the variety’s unique characteristics have made it more popular in a range of origin countries. These include Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Colombia, and Hawaii.

How is it processed and roasted? 

When it comes to processing and roasting, bean size is certainly an important factor for any kind of coffee. However, it is especially relevant for varieties which produce very large beans, like Maragogipe.

“Generally speaking, natural processing methods help to enhance the variety’s complexity, sweetness, and body, as well as highlighting more fruity flavours,” Gerson explains. “Conversely, with washed processing techniques, Maragogipe is less sweet and has a less pronounced body, but you can enhance the acidic and floral aromas.”

Brandon von Damitz is a co-founder and co-owner of Big Island Coffee Roasters in Hawaii, which grows a 94-point Kaʻū Maragogipe with notes of peach, bergamot, and honey.

“The variety’s potential lies in how well it responds to its terroir, farming practices, processing method, roast profile, and brewing method,” he says. “What I love about Maragogipe grown in Hawaii is that it’s both high quality and versatile.

“The variety works well with a number of roast profiles and brewing methods,” he adds. “The size of the beans, as well as its other attributes, all play a role in determining how we apply heat when roasting.”

Mauricio mentions that because Maragogipe has such desirable sensory properties, producers often sell and market it as a single origin micro or nano lot. He adds that some producers also use honey processing techniques, or even controlled fermentation methods.

“Some roasters say that it’s not the easiest variety to roast,” he says. “However, I have clients in Australia, France, and the US who would certainly buy more Maragogipe if we had more available.”

Brandon agrees, saying: “Given its rarity and low yields, we prefer to sell and market Maragogipe by itself, [rather than in a blend].”

What does Maragogipe coffee taste like?

As with any variety, flavour profile and sensory attributes are naturally a result of the plant’s terroir. This includes the soil, climate, altitude, and the region in which the coffee grows.

Furthermore, post-harvest processing methods also have a significant impact on a coffee’s cup profile.

It’s fair to say that over the years, opinions on the quality of Maragogipe have ranged widely. For example, in William Ukers’ book All About Coffee, which was first published in 1922, he states:

“The green bean is of huge size, and varies in colour from green to dingy brown. It is the largest of all coffee beans… but woody and generally disagreeable in the cup.”

However, many coffee professionals agree that with agricultural best practices, Maragogipe can produce high-quality coffee with desirable characteristics.

“Typically, Maragogipe is naturally very sweet and low in acidity,” Gerson explains. “It also has some floral nuances, as well as honey and sometimes spice tasting notes.”

Brandon agrees, telling me: “I love the dynamic sweet-savoury flavour and aroma qualities of Maragogipe. 

“It has peach-like flavours with some chocolate undertones, as well as some more herbaceous notes of hops and sandalwood,” he adds. “The sensory experience can change day-to-day, as well as when using different brewing methods, so there is plenty to enjoy from a single coffee.”

Is there a wider market for this variety?

Undoubtedly, Maragogipe is a popular choice among specialty coffee roasters who sell more exclusive varieties. 

Mauricio says he has been growing Maragogipe for nearly a decade, and sells the coffee as part of Divisadero’s nano lot range. 

“The variety’s bean size and great cup quality usually rivals that of Pacamara in El Salvador,” he explains. “However, because Maragogipe is expensive to produce, very few farmers are interested in planting more, and market prices remain very high.”

While Maragogipe isn’t considered an ultra-exclusive variety, Brandon tells me that it can be difficult for consumers to find it.

“We’re fortunate that it grows in Hawaii where we can experiment with different growing regions and processing methods to create even more diverse and unique sensory experiences,” he says. 

Brandon adds that when Big Island Coffee Roasters first sold Maragogipe, it was notably very popular among its customers – indicating there is growing demand.

“The combination of its rarity, size, and flavour profile means it’s a unique coffee that people don’t want to miss out on,” he explains. “When it’s sold out, it’s gone until the next harvest season.”

Gerson tells me that IAC has been studying Maragogipe since 1931, with a specific focus on genetic modification to improve yields.

“Knowing that in the specialty coffee market there is growing demand for varieties which produce larger beans, the IAC has preserved several female Red and Yellow Maragogipe plants in its germplasm bank for future use,” he explains.

“With the goal of increasing productivity, the IAC has developed specific protocols for commercial Maragogipe production,” he adds. “These include a particular focus on defining best plant spacing, nutrition, and phytosanitary management (ensuring the plants are free from dangerous pests and diseases).”

Is there potential to improve yields?

Although there are clear challenges when it comes to Maragogipe production, Gerson is hopeful that it could become more widespread.

“Based on the IAC’s Maragogipe lineage selection, as well as the application of farming and post-harvest processing best practices, production of Maragogipe could increase in Brazil,” he explains.

Brandon is also optimistic about the variety’s future in the specialty coffee market.

“Maragogipe’s cup qualities are more suitable for consumers who are more adventurous, and usually have more developed palates,” he says. “It’s a fantastic entry point for people who want to experience what different coffee varieties have to offer.”

It’s clear that specialty coffee places a lot of value on more exclusive and highly-prized varieties, and producers and roasters selling Maragogipe can certainly capitalise on this.

However, at the same time, the variety’s low productivity and vulnerability to pests and diseases pose a significant number of challenges for scaling production. 

So if we want to see more Maragogipe available in the future, further research and extensive support for coffee producers is certainly necessary.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on coffee varieties: a crash course in Gesha vs Bourbon.

Photo credits: Gerson Silva Giomo, IAC, Juleigh Burden, Kelleigh Stewart

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Many popular coffee varieties in Kenya include SL-28 and SL-34, which were first introduced to the country’s farmers more than 90 years ago. While SL varieties are high quality, they are also highly susceptible to various pests and diseases – making them difficult for farmers to grow.

However, as part of a wider discussion on introducing more disease-resistant and climate-resilient varieties to Kenya’s coffee sector, farmers are starting to grow others. One of these is Ruiru 11 – a high-yielding dwarf F1 hybrid which is more resistant to a number of pests and diseases.

To find out more about Ruiru 11, and whether or not it will become more widespread, I spoke to two local coffee farmers. Read on to learn what they had to say.

You may also like our article exploring two popular Kenyan coffee varieties: SL-28 and SL-34.

The origins of Ruiru 11

As with many other hybrid varieties, Ruiru 11 was developed because of the increasing prevalence of pests and diseases. The most prominent example was a coffee berry disease (CBD) epidemic in 1968, which destroyed around half of Kenya’s coffee production that year.

CBD is caused by the Colletotrichum fungus, which turns cherries brown or black – leading to rot and premature drying. Ultimately, this has a detrimental impact on a coffee plant’s yield and quality.

In response to rising cases of CBD, a coffee station in Ruiru began breeding coffee varieties in the 1970s which were more resistant to the disease – as well as still producing satisfactory volumes of high-quality coffee.

One of these varieties was Ruiru 11 – a disease-resistant dwarf F1 hybrid which could be grown at different altitudes. According to World Coffee Research, the variety was developed using genetic material from many different varieties – including a Catimor female parent and a selection of K7, SL-28, N39, and Sudan Rume male parents.

These varieties were largely chosen for their higher levels of resistance against CBD, as well as coffee leaf rust (CLR) – a fungus which eventually kills coffee plants. However, alongside their disease resistance, these varieties also give Ruiru 11 a reputation for high yields and good quality coffee.

When was Ruiru 11 first planted?

Ruiru 11 was first introduced to Kenyan coffee farmers in 1985, which marked a significant change for the country’s coffee sector.

Compared with other varieties, which are more slow-growing, Ruiru 11 generally produces its first harvest within two years of planting. Its plants are also small and compact, which means producers can grow more of them in a smaller area.

Watson Wanjau is a coffee farmer in Kenya, who has been producing the variety for the past decade.

“I grow Ruiru 11 on some small parcels of land,” he says. “Because you can plant the variety closer together than others, such as SL-28 and SL-34, you can increase productivity.”

He adds that Ruiru 11 requires fewer fungicides and fertilisers than other popular varieties in Kenya – meaning it’s typically more affordable for farmers to grow than SL varieties.

One of the most significant ways in which Ruiru 11 has proliferated is through top-working. This is when farmers graft new plant material of one variety onto an established root system of another – essentially eliminating the need for producers to plant more Ruiru 11 seeds.

“Top-working is the easiest way of helping more farmers grow Ruiru 11,” Watson explains. “Producers can utilise the already established root systems to convert their plants.”

However, he adds that top-working is still a new concept for many Kenyan coffee farmers, so the level of success can vary widely depending on the producers’ experience levels. Furthermore, rootstock grafting is a complex process which usually requires the assistance of specialists.

In light of this, Watson suggests that producers should first plant Batian, which has some of the same parents as Ruiru 11. Farmers can then graft Ruiru 11 scions (the term for offshoots and twigs) onto the root systems of Batian to make top-working easier.

Are more Kenyan farmers growing the variety?

Symon Sogomo is a coffee farmer at Sogomo Coffee Estate in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya. The farm grows three varieties, including Ruiru 11, Batian, and some SL plants. 

He explains that when it comes to planting more Ruiru 11, some of the country’s older farmers are somewhat apprehensive – especially when growing Batian for top-working.

“There is a noticeable difference in how Batian and Ruiru 11 both grow,” he explains. 

Kenya’s main annual coffee harvest runs from March to July. So while Batian is a high-yielding plant, it can sometimes produce less coffee in the following harvest – especially if yields were high in the previous year.

“But whenever a new variety is introduced, it will always be viewed differently initially,” he adds. “When I asked some older farmers about when Ruiru 11 was first introduced, they said that farmers didn’t know how to grow it and agronomists didn’t know how to manage it.”

Under optimal conditions, producers can grow up to 3,000 Ruiru 11 plants per hectare, which will produce a consistently high volume of cherries – providing farmers with a number of benefits.

Ultimately, this, as well as other reasons, has led to a sharp rise in demand for the variety.

“It is a variety which Kenyan coffee farmers fully support,” he says. “It was developed in Ruiru, so it is Kenyan variety, rather than others which were brought over by colonists.”

However, as certified Ruiru 11 seeds must be sourced from the Coffee Research Foundation in Kenya (along with all other seeds in the country), supply has not been able to meet demand. Moreover, the research institute has started to shift its focus towards cultivating Batian in recent years.

“My coffee-growing region is relatively young compared to other areas in Kenya, so we plant more Batian than Ruiru 11,” Watson says. “However, many farmers want to plant Ruiru 11, but they can’t source the seedlings.”

At his nursery, Watson tells me he and his team grow Ruiru 11 seedlings obtained from the Coffee Research Foundation. They also supply seedlings to other local farmers to help boost the variety’s production.

Understanding the challenges of Ruiru 11 production

Although there are clear advantages to growing Ruiru 11, some Kenyan farmers are concerned that its quality is not as high as the SL varieties – potentially resulting in lower prices.

Symon, meanwhile, believes that few consumers would be able to taste the difference between Ruiru 11 and SL varieties. He says this is largely because the former is still considered a “young” variety in Kenya, so its sensory profile is still yet to be fully explored.

However, one of the bigger concerns around Ruiru 11 is its susceptibility to certain pests and diseases – despite the drive behind its cultivation and its supposed resilience.

As Ruiru 11 is often grown alongside other varieties, pests and diseases can actually spread more easily than initially thought to plants in some cases.

“We have had some unusual cases of CLR and CBD on Ruiru 11 plants,” Symon tells me. “Agronomists told us that the genetic materials for these plants were probably not selected to a high enough standard.

“Ruiru 11 which is 100% genetically accurate should be completely resistant to both of these diseases,” he adds.

Watson says that there have been more cases of CBD affecting Ruiru 11 plants, but expert agronomists have warned producers to not treat the plants accordingly. This is largely because the effects of CBD on Ruiru 11 are often non-threatening. 

“We were advised to collect and burn the affected cherries,” he tells me. “However, these cases are still concerning because when it was first introduced, Ruiru 11 experienced these issues. 

“We hope that it is just a normal reaction to being planted with other, more traditional varieties,” he adds.

Alongside a small number of unusual CBD cases, Ruiru 11 is also sensitive to drought stress. The variety’s higher yields are contingent on a significant amount of water – a growing issue considering the rising number of Kenya’s droughts in recent years.

“Producers growing Ruiru 11 need to have an alternative source of water if rainfall is lower than expected,” Watson says. “To produce healthy cherries, the variety needs a lot of water, so it’s important to also have large irrigation tanks and systems in place.”

Looking to the future

Considering the increasing demand for Ruiru 11 seeds in Kenya, it’s more than likely that production volumes will grow in the coming years. However, this is mostly dependent on whether seeds will become available to more farmers.

Watson hopes that the Coffee Research Foundation will address this problem in the near future, mainly by cultivating more seeds and increasing producers’ access to them.

He emphasises that top-working is one of the ways in which farmers can supply themselves – and potentially others – with more Ruiru 11 plants.

“More than half of our Ruiru 11 plants were cultivated using top-working,” he says. “Most other Ruiru 11 farmers have done the same.

“Moreover, top-working seems to be working better and better every year,” he adds.

Although top-working can be complex and difficult, if supply chain stakeholders invest in teaching Kenyan coffee farmers the best practices for this process, the country’s Ruiru 11 production could certainly grow.

Thanks to its generally solid tolerance for a range of major diseases, there is no doubt that Ruiru 11 will continue to be prominent across Kenyan coffee production. Its increased resilience, as well as its high yields and cup quality, make it well worth growing for many of the country’s farmers.

Some researchers and producers also believe that as the variety evolves, it will continue to acclimate to Kenya’s soil and climatic conditions, and more research about how to best cultivate it will be summarily conducted. However, ultimately, whether or not this happens will all depend on one thing – seed availability.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article exploring land succession in Kenyan coffee production.

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One of these coffees is Sidra (also known as Sydra or Bourbon Sidra). While the variety itself is not especially well known, it is becoming increasingly prominent at WCC events – and was notably used by the 2019 World Barista Champion Jooyeon Jeon in her winning routine and the 2022 World Barista Championship winner Anthony Douglas.

To understand more about Sidra, I spoke with several coffee professionals. Read on for their insight about this unique arabica variety.

You may also like our article on excelsa coffee.

Understanding the origins of Sidra

Sadly, there is little information available about Sidra; however, it is believed that the variety originally comes from the Pichincha province in Ecuador. Some people claim that Sidra originated from a Nestlé coffee breeding facility in the region, which developed hybrids using Ethiopian and Bourbon varieties. It is reported that Don Olger Rogel was the first person to introduce Sidra, as well as Typica Mejorada, to the Ecuadorian coffee sector.

Although the facility closed down some years ago, it’s believed that Sidra was one of “unreleased” varieties which was developed by Nestlé. Initially, it was reported that Sidra was produced by crossbreeding Typica with Bourbon – two high-quality varieties from which many coffee plants today can be traced back to.

However, some farmers and roasters have sent Sidra samples to research institutions for genetic testing, and have found that the samples were genetically similar to Ethiopian heirloom varieties – an overarching term used for the many wild or genetically unidentified varieties which are native to the East African country. Other tests, meanwhile, have revealed different parentage.

When contacted for comment, World Coffee Research said it’s possible that Sidra does not have a clear genetic identity. Instead, Sidra could be a few different varieties that farmers refer to under the same name – something the organisation says is not uncommon in the coffee industry given the lack of a formal seed sector.

Although it is difficult to universally determine the flavour profile of Ethiopian heirloom varieties, they generally have more floral and fruity characteristics. Sidra also has a similar cup profile, with high levels of sweetness.

Where is Sidra grown?

Despite being genetically linked to Ethiopia, Sidra is mainly produced in South America – primarily in Ecuador and Colombia. The variety grows between 1,650 and 1,800 m.a.s.l. (metres above sea level).

One of the first coffee farms to commercially grow Sidra was La Palma y El Tucán in Cundinamarca, Colombia. Producers planted around 1,800 Sidra trees in 2012, followed by an additional 4,300 plants in 2015 after the variety became more popular in the specialty coffee sector.

Sidra plants have distinctively thick trunks and can grow up to four metres tall. They produce dark green leaves and have elongated five-petal flowers, with cherries that grow densely packed together along its branches. The cherries are also larger and rounder than other arabica varieties with pointed ends. The seeds (or beans) of the Sidra variety are generally longer and thinner than most arabica varieties – similar to Gesha. 

José Pepe Jijón is the owner of Finca Soledad – a coffee farm in the Imbabura province of Ecuador. He explains some of Sidra’s other similarities to Gesha.

“Just like Gesha, Sidra requires shade to grow successfully. Some say it originally grew in forests,” he tells me. “It requires an ecosystem, so it can’t be planted in full sun conditions.

“Sidra produces high yields and is resistant to several pests and diseases, but not coffee leaf rust,” he adds.

Coffee leaf rust is a common term for hamileia vastatrix, a fungus which prevents photosynthesis in the leaves of coffee plants. It appears as yellow spots on the underside of leaves, before developing into a yellow-orange powder that can easily transmit to other plants.

Producers at La Palma y el Tucán say that Sidra is also highly susceptible to diseases such as ceratocystis fimbriata and coffee berry disease – both of which are detrimental to plant growth and coffee quality.

Popularity in the specialty coffee sector

Although there is little information about Sidra available in the coffee industry, it has become increasingly popular over the past several years, mainly because of its high cup quality.

Cole Torode is the Head of Coffee and Operations at Forward Specialty Green Coffee Importers in Alberta, Canada.

“Sidra is one of the most exciting coffee varieties available,” he says. “It has dynamic flavours and an interesting mouthfeel. You can expect ripe stone fruit notes, such as nectarine, apricot, and peach.

“It also has some citrus notes; I notice a lot of orange or orange blossom flavours,” he adds. “It can have white grape and wine-like notes as well.”

Pepe agrees, saying: “After cupping hundreds of Sidra samples, we found it has botanical and mint flavours. 

“On a cupping table with 20 other coffees, we can usually recognise Sidra because of its botanical and mint notes,” he adds.

However, as with any other coffee variety, the processing method has a significant impact on flavour, aroma, and mouthfeel.

Arturo Arevalo is the founder of Selvadentro and previously worked at La Palma y El Tucán.

“In my experience, no matter which processing method you use for Sidra, the flavour profile is sweet, with notes of honey, malt, and red apple,” he says. “The acidity is mild, but with a citrus-like profile. 

“The mouthfeel is well-rounded and velvety,” he adds.

The fermentation technique used for Sidra grown at La Palma y El Tucán, known as the “bio innovation method”, has been used to further develop its flavours.

“The bio innovation method adds layers of complexity to the coffee, which enhances and deepens its flavour profile,” Arturo tells me. 

This is because the technique involves adding microorganisms which are native to the farm to the cherry, helping to break down sugars and produce more acids. The higher concentration of organic acids can often result in tropical fruit notes, as well creating a more intense and heavy mouthfeel.

Cole, meanwhile, tells me he prefers natural processed Sidra. He says that many producers who grow Sidra use this technique to highlight the variety’s fruit characteristics.

“It’s a playful, complex coffee,” he says. “It has a lot of different elements and it is very tactile.”

Is there a wider market for Sidra?

As a result of its increasing popularity in the specialty coffee sector, Sidra has been used in several WCC events. At the 2019 World Barista Championships, Jooyeon Jeon placed first and Cole placed third using Sidra grown at La Palma y el Tucán. 

Sidra is currently commercially grown on a much lower scale than other arabica varieties – mainly because it results in the highest cup quality when grown above 1,700 m.a.s.l.

However, some coffee professionals believe this will change over the coming years.

“Sidra and Typica Mejorada could become more commonly grown in Ecuador,” Pepe tells me. “Young farmers in the country should plant more of these varieties; it’s a chance for Ecuador to establish itself more as an ‘exotic’ origin.”

Cole agrees, saying that there are several international markets for Sidra.

“The sensory profile of this variety is more suited to North American and Middle Eastern consumers, who prefer more intense and dominant flavours,” he says. “Fermented coffees with lots of flavour are popular in these markets.”

Pepe believes that Sidra is much more than just a “trending” competition coffee. He explains that because of the range of flavours it produces, he foresees that consumer demand for Sidra will increase over the next few years.

“Sidra, as well as Typica Mejorada, is a new variety in the Ecuadorian coffee industry, so it still has a lot of potential,” he adds. “For instance, it took around thirty years for Panamanian Gesha to become popular, and I think that Sidra could be on the same trajectory.”

It’s no secret that the specialty coffee sector prizes exclusive and unique coffee species and varieties, and Sidra certainly seems to have joined that category.

There’s no doubt that Sidra is becoming more popular among some third wave coffee roasters and coffee competitors.

We can expect to see more Sidra lots used at WCC events in the coming years, and who knows – it may well start to appear on certain specialty coffee shop menus. However, just how much production volumes will increase over the next few years remains to be seen.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on whether coffee competitions are moving away from Gesha.

Photo credits: @instintocoffee

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Since then, however, annual harvest volumes have been steadily declining. Between 2019 and 2020, production volumes fell by 4.9% to 29 million 60kg bags. 

Some 95% of Vietnamese coffee is robusta, while arabica makes up the remaining 5%. Unfortunately, robusta has a negative reputation because of historical associations with poor quality.

As part of improving farmers’ income, bolstering arabica production in Vietnam has been a key focus for many stakeholders in the country’s coffee industry. In many cases, this has meant trialling new hybrid varieties as well as implementing agroforestry practices.

To learn more about these new farm management techniques, I spoke with two people involved in the BREEDCAFS project taking place in northwest Vietnam. Read on for more of their insight.

You may also like our article on introducing climate-resilient coffee hybrids in Vietnam.

Challenges in Vietnamese coffee production

One of the biggest challenges that Vietnamese coffee producers face is the country’s widespread reputation for producing lower-quality robusta at scale. However, beyond this, even where arabica coffee is concerned, the country’s farmers face a number of challenges.

Laurent Bossolasco is the Asia-Pacific Regional Manager for ECOM Sustainable Management Services (SMS).

“Vietnamese coffee producers – whether they are growing arabica or robusta – face challenges that are also common elsewhere across the Bean Belt, such as the rising costs of hiring labour and fertilisers, as well as price volatility,” he says.

“Although farmgate prices are currently higher, this hasn’t always been the case,” he adds. “Coffee prices were low two to three years ago; in some countries they were even below the costs of production.”

Generally speaking, coffee farmers have to reinvest a significant proportion of their income into farm costs on a yearly basis. These include regular seasonal maintenance, replanting old trees, or buying agricultural inputs to maintain or improve yield and quality.

However, alongside these costs, producers also need to earn enough money to support themselves and their families.

“While Vietnamese arabica farmers can largely cover their production costs, our research has indicated that prices still aren’t high enough for them to earn a living income,” Laurent explains.

“Around 17% of the arabica producers we surveyed earned more than a living income between 2019 and 2020,” he tells me. “Between 2021 and 2022, however, this number increased to 85%.”

As well as issues of income stability, Vietnamese farmers also face a number of challenges as far as coffee quality is concerned. 

“Most Vietnamese arabica is Catimor, which is largely grown in full sun conditions,” Laurent explains. “This variety is more resistant to diseases like coffee leaf rust, but historically has not been of high quality.

“Arabica farms are not irrigated in Vietnam, so more unpredictable rainfall could affect their growth and yield,” he adds. “Rising temperatures are likely to cause higher levels of pest outbreaks, which could force farmers at lower altitudes to turn to other cash crops.”

Furthermore, climate change is becoming more of an issue for many countries along the Bean Belt, including Vietnam. The country’s increasing annual temperatures could see some of its coffee-growing regions decline in size and suitability by as much as 50% within the next 30 years.

“The age of coffee trees is also a challenge that farmers need to address, so breeding and adopting new hybrid varieties that are fit for agroforestry practices can help to tackle these issues in Vietnamese coffee production,” Laurent says.

F1 hybrid varieties

One possible solution to improve the resiliency of Vietnamese arabica plants is the development of new F1 hybrid varieties – but what exactly are these?

Clément Rigal is a coffee agronomist at French agricultural research organisation CIRAD.

“First generation (or F1) coffee hybrids are made by crossing two coffee plants which both have desirable characteristics, such as producing higher yields and high-quality coffee, or having a higher tolerance to drought,” he says. 

“This type of selection process has been carried out by farmers for centuries, however, breeders are now more systematic in their approach,” he adds. “They have access to parent trees from different origins and can more extensively measure the performance of the F1 hybrids.”

Laurent adds: “Most arabica varieties grown currently in Vietnam are not likely to be able to tolerate higher instances of diseases and pests, as well as rising temperatures and other environmental threats related to climate change.

“ECOM and CIRAD have developed breeding programmes to improve the genetic diversity of robusta and arabica,” he adds. “The arabica hybrids were developed by crossing traditional varieties with wild varieties from Sudan and Ethiopia.”

Developing hybrid varieties successfully requires extensive knowledge and technical skills, as Clément explains.

“The only F1 hybrid that can be propagated by seeds is Starmaya, but the seeds must be propagated in dedicated seed gardens,” he says. “This F1 hybrid variety was developed by CIRAD and ECOM.”

Starmaya is a hybrid between an arabica plant and the rust-resistant Marsellesa variety, which CIRAD and ECOM first field-tested in Nicaragua in the mid-to-late 2000s. It can grow at medium altitudes while still producing high yields and desirable flavour profiles.

“Hybrid varieties yield between 20% and 40% more than their parent varieties, as well as the control varieties used in our study,” Laurent tells me. “In our sensory evaluations, the hybrid varieties scored the same or higher than more traditional ones.”

Planting F1 hybrids on coffee farms

In order for farmers to reap the benefits of new hybrid varieties, a key focus needs to be accessibility. Making it easier to acquire and plant seedlings, for instance, is one area to begin with.

Laurent, for instance, tells me how CIRAD and ECOM have been supporting producers in Vietnam to plant more F1 hybrids.

“The BREEDCAFS project was first implemented in northern Vietnam, with a long-term objective of scaling production if successful,” he says. “ECOM SMS also set up a nursery and propagation site to carry out other trials in the Central Highlands to test different climatic conditions.”

“The three commercial hybrid varieties which performed well in trials in Central America were selected for the BREEDCAFS project in Vietnam,” Laurent says. “These include Centroamericano (H1), Starmaya, and Mundo Maya (EC16).”

As part of planting these new hybrid varieties, CIRAD and ECOM have been encouraging producers to adopt more agroforestry techniques on coffee farms. Essentially, these practices include growing a number of crops (including coffee) among trees and woodland.

Clément explains that this is carried out for a number of reasons.

“In many countries along the Bean Belt, nitrogen-fixing shade trees are mostly planted on coffee farms,” he says. “Shade trees can improve soil conditions and help coffee plants adapt better to microclimates, which can result in higher-quality coffee.

“In Vietnam specifically, most agroforestry systems on coffee farms also include fruit trees,” he adds. “Some fruit trees compete with coffee plants and require high levels of inputs and maintenance, but they provide farmers with higher economic return.”

Because of the increased competition with fruit trees, Clément emphasises why planting more F1 hybrids is so important for Vietnamese arabica farmers.

“The F1 hybrids developed in the BREEDCAFS project are better adapted to shadier environments than traditional varieties, such as Catimor, and can grow well when intercropped with fruit trees,” he explains. “Moreover, fruit trees can help to mitigate extreme variations in temperature as a result of climate change, therefore supporting the future of coffee production.”

By supporting arabica plants to thrive in a higher range of temperatures, Laurent tells me that coffee quality can be improved in the long term.

“Intercropping trees on coffee farms helps producers to develop shade conditions,” he says. “This can ensure the cherries mature more slowly to develop more flavours and aromas.

“As well as this, intercropping can provide more natural pest and disease control methods, alongside increased protection from extreme weather conditions, such as frost, heat waves, or hail,” he adds.

How can hybrid varieties benefit Vietnamese farmers?

There are clearly a number of ways in which hybrid varieties with better climate resilience can help farmers in Vietnam benefit, not least by making arabica production more viable. 

It’s important to note, however, that scaling the production of these hybrid varieties requires extensive support from industry stakeholders.

“Monitoring the impact of these agroforestry practices is necessary,” Laurent says. “Academic research and public-private partnerships are crucial to assess the impact of these practices on yields and quality.

“ECOM SMS supports producers to optimise their inputs – such as fertilisers, water, and labour – and therefore reduce production costs and generate higher profits,” he adds. “What’s more, this helped to lower the farm’s carbon footprint and lessen the impact on the environment.”

And with climate change becoming an increasing concern for the global coffee industry, developing more climate-resilient hybrid varieties has never been more important.

“Hybrid coffee varieties were selected as part of the BREEDCAFS project because they have desirable characteristics,” Clément says. “Previously, the selection was mostly focused on selecting varieties with higher yields, as well as a higher resistance to pests and diseases.

“In more recent years, however, the selection process includes a broader scope to also include coffee quality and climate resilience,” he adds. “The goal is to propagate hybrid varieties that are more compatible with farming practices, such as agroforestry, to create more sustainable farming systems.”

Alongside this, a growing focus on improving arabica quality in Vietnam will benefit farmers and the country’s coffee sector more widely.

“Higher-quality varieties will allow Vietnamese producers to market their coffee better, potentially increasing prices, too,” Laurent explains. “Higher yields, combined with intercropping fruit trees, may generate higher revenue and potentially create new additional benefits, such as carbon sequestration schemes.”

Clément adds that on coffee farms in Latin America, these F1 hybrid varieties have been found to score higher than more traditional arabica varieties.

“On coffee farms in Latin America – where CIRAD first selected and tested hybrid varieties –  F1 hybrids had higher cupping scores than Catimor,” he says. “In Vietnam, we are still measuring the quality results.

“Higher quality should, in theory, increase farmgate prices, which should improve farmers’ profitability and provide them with additional income to face potential future challenges,” he concludes.

With research already showing that hybrids can help drive up quality and be more climate-resilient, they could clearly have a number of benefits for Vietnamese coffee farmers interested in arabica production. 

Going forward, the hope is that the uptake of these varieties could support producers in other countries to adopt agroforestry systems and plant shade trees. Ideally, this would allow them to maintain current farm altitudes, as opposed to “climbing higher” to reach more suitable growing conditions – especially as climate change becomes more of an issue in the coffee industry.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on tasting “forgotten” wild coffee species: an experiment.

Photo credits: Laurent Bossolasco, Clément Rigal

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For many, however, the threat in the longer-term is the advent of climate change. It’s believed that in the coming decades, this will cause the amount of land suitable for coffee cultivation around the world to fall. 

So, can anything be done to boost coffee production and safeguard the future of the coffee industry? Well, one of the many solutions that has been proposed in recent years is agroforestry – a way of helping coffee producers mitigate the impact of climate production. 

In this article, Caroline Dangléant, a journalist at CIRAD, explores how agroforestry can benefit coffee production more widely, and looks at success stories from the BREEDCAFS project in Vietnam, Cameroon, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. Read on to find out what she says.

You may also like our article on introducing climate-resilient coffee hybrids in Vietnam.

What is agroforestry?

To put it simply, agroforestry is the practice of growing crops (including coffee) among trees and woodland. 

This has a number of benefits for coffee production, such as providing shade for the plants. Historically, many coffee hybrids were designed to be grown under full sunlight, which increases overall yields. However, growing coffee under shade has a number of benefits for quality when practised properly. 

At CIRAD, much of the recent research has focused on using more diverse coffee varieties and improving farming techniques, as well as assessing the performance of new varieties under shade.

For the last twenty years in particular, CIRAD and ECOM have been working to develop climate-resilient arabica hybrid varieties which are more suitable to be grown under shade. These varieties are ideal for smallholder producers who use agroforestry farming techniques.

In order to determine the performance and quality of these hybrid varieties, the BREEDCAFS project (BREEDing Coffee for AgroForestry Systems) has been established. This project assesses how these hybrids perform over a long-term basis on smallholder farms. 

The EU-funded BREEDCAFS project is co-ordinated by CIRAD, and partners with a number of companies and other organisations – including illycaffè, Eurofins, Northern Mountainous Agro-forestry Science Institute (NOMAFSI), the Agricultural Genetics Institute (AGI), and IRAD in Cameroon.

What are the benefits of agroforestry systems?

There are a number of advantages for coffee farmers who use agroforestry techniques. For starters, in terms of quality, agroforestry can provide coffee plants with shade from the sun, subsequently lowering temperatures. 

This in turn slows down the cherry maturation phase as the coffee grows, allowing more sugars, lipids, and desirable volatile flavour compounds to develop. Ultimately, this means that once the coffee is processed, dried, and roasted, it is more likely to boast a greater number of sweet and complex flavour notes.

Agroforestry also absorbs more carbon dioxide (CO2) than coffee grown under full sun conditions. This is because both the coffee plants and the shade trees sequester CO2 from the atmosphere – helping to reduce the impacts of global warming. 

This means that growing coffee under shade can help farms mitigate their wider environmental impact, offsetting to the point that farms can even become carbon-neutral or carbon-negative, in theory.

For roasters looking to offer more environmentally-friendly products to their consumers, this can be a beneficial, profitable offering.

Furthermore, agroforestry practices can also help to promote and improve traceability and transparency. As agroforestry helps to improve quality as well as boasting environmental improvements, there is more likely to be a differentiated market. 

This means that there’s a higher chance that farmers will be able to receive premium prices for these coffees. As such, if they are harvested and processed separately, the coffees can more easily be traced back to a single producer, farm, or co-op.

However, it should be noted that this isn’t always the case, and that farmers must ensure there is a market for the coffee they are growing – especially if it is more expensive to grow, harvest, and process individually.

To help differentiate and record the coffee grown in agroforestry systems in the BREEDCAFS trials, CIRAD has launched a metadatabase to track performance. The belief is that this database, along with other relevant associated tools, could prove to have use both in the coffee industry and beyond, if leveraged for other tropical crops.

Mitigating the impacts of climate change

One of the biggest drivers of the BREEDCAFS project is that the coffee industry is extremely vulnerable to the effects of global warming.

It is believed that arabica coffee originated from a single “super plant” between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago. This means that there is little genetic diversity among arabica coffee varieties. 

As such, many varieties today are susceptible to damage as a result of rising global temperatures and a number of diseases (including coffee leaf rust) when grown under full sunlight.

In response, the BREEDCAFS project found that growing hybrid coffee varieties under shade was one of the best ways of adapting coffee production to the effects of climate change.

Benoît Bertrand is the project coordinator at BREEDCAFS.

“We are the first project to breed coffee hybrid varieties with a view to planting them in agroforestry systems,” he tells me.

Over a four-year period, the project assessed various adaptation mechanisms for the new varieties. These allowed researchers to record how the new varieties coped with various stress factors – including higher temperatures, increased levels of drought, reduced shade, higher CO2 levels, and lower levels of nitrogen in soil.

CIRAD initially carried out these assessments in greenhouses in Denmark, France, and Portugal. The varieties were then implemented on demo plots across more than 100 farms in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Vietnam, and Cameroon – with promising results.

Planting the new F1 hybrid varieties

The F1 arabica hybrids were developed by CIRAD and ECOM around 20 years ago, and were first tested on coffee farms in Central America. Since then, CIRAD has distributed these seedlings to farms in Africa and Southeast Asia.

These F1 hybrids include Starmaya, CentroAmericano, Evaluna, and Mundo Maya. After assessing the performance of the new varieties, there was evidence indicating that productivity, climate resilience, and quality had all improved.

Across farms in Vietnam, Cameroon, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua, the productivity of the new hybrid varieties increased between 10% and 30% when they were grown under shade compared to conventional varieties (Catimor, Catuai, and so on). Moreover, their greater resistance to several diseases meant that pesticide application decreased by between 15% and 20% – helping to reduce overall costs for farmers.

The implications of scaling these F1 hybrids could be highly beneficial for the global coffee industry. CIRAD researchers predict that if these hybrids are distributed efficiently and quickly across the Bean Belt, the areas growing coffee using agroforestry systems could expand between 30% and 40% within the next decade. 

“As a result of the success of these varieties in the four countries covered by the BREEDCAFS project, neighbouring countries across the three continents can also adopt the new F1 hybrids and agroforestry systems on a large-scale,” Benoît explains.

He also notes that the F1 hybrids developed through the BREEDCAFS project originated from a gene pool drawn from wild Ethiopian varieties. The results of the project found that when these varieties were grown at higher altitudes, cupping scores increased significantly.

“The number of F1 arabica hybrids could multiply in the coming years,” he says. “As coffee prices continue to rise, it’s vital that supply chain stakeholders build long-term relationships with producers to guarantee coffee quality and sustainable farming practices.”

It’s clear from the evidence of these trials that a combination of climate-resilient hybrids and agroforestry systems can help coffee producers mitigate the impact of climate change, while also helping them boost both yields and quality. 

However, it’s important to recognise that climate change is just one of a number of challenges that the coffee industry faces in the future. With continued price volatility, long-term shipping issues in the wake of Covid-19, and rising fertiliser costs all still prominent across the industry, producers have plenty of challenges to contend with. 

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how we can combat the impact of climate change with hybrid coffee varieties.

Photo credits: Benoît Bertrand, Hervé Étienne, BREEDCAFS 

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But what about coffee varieties that are naturally low in caffeine?

Laurina is one of the most prominent low-caf coffees in the world. It has experienced a resurgence in popularity over the past few years, despite being identified over two centuries ago. 

As well as containing around half the caffeine content of other arabica varieties, it is also known to have a desirable flavour profile. This was notably showcased in the winning 2018 World Brewers Cup routine. 

To explore the unique history of Laurina and its potential for the wider market, I spoke to three industry experts who all work closely with this arabica variety.

You may also like our article on whether low caffeine coffee varieties could replace decaf.

The origins of Laurina

The Laurina variety was first discovered growing wild on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean (previously known as Bourbon). Réunion is an overseas region of France, located east of Madagascar. 

During the 1600s and 1700s, coffee consumption increased across Europe. The French attempted to grow coffee in eastern France, but were unsuccessful, so French colonists instead looked for other regions with more suitable climates and terrain.

In 1715, French colonists shipped several coffee plants from Mocha, Yemen to Saint-Denis, Réunion​​. These plants were of the Bourbon variety: one of the most genetically diverse coffee varieties in the world.

Out of the original 20 coffee plants shipped to Réunion, only one yielded cherries. However, the island’s Bourbon production steadily increased over the following years.

As most of Réunion’s production was focused on Bourbon, the island’s native coffee species were largely ignored by farmers and researchers. In 1783, Réunion’s indigenous coffee plants were scientifically recognised (originally referred to as Coffea mauritiana, as Réunion is located close to Mauritius), but producers were more focused on the higher-yield Bourbon plants.

Around 1810, according to the Réunion Museum, farmers noticed new types of Bourbon plants growing on the island. These plants were smaller and produced oval-shaped cherries and seeds – leading to its nickname of “Bourbon pointu”.

At the time, it was believed that Bourbon pointu was a hybrid of Réunion’s indigenous coffee plants and the Bourbon plants imported from Yemen. 

However, the Unravelling the origin of Coffea arabica ‘Bourbon pointu’ from La Réunion: a historical and scientific perspective research paper confirms that Bourbon pointu is actually a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety. This means they are almost genetically identical.

The name Laurina is said to originate from the coffee plant’s similarities to laurel plants: an evergreen shrub with large, oval-shaped leaves. Producers also referred to it as Le Roy, after the first farmer who is believed to have discovered the variety.

Laurina’s characteristics

The Laurina variety is characterised by its Christmas tree-like shape, as well as small leaves, densely packed branches, and pointed cherries. 

The coffee plant is a dwarf mutation of the Bourbon variety, meaning its plants are typically small. Dwarfism is fairly common in varieties that belong to the Bourbon family, including Caturra, Villa Sarchi, and Pacas. The plants typically reach heights of around two metres (eight feet).

Smaller coffee plants are generally beneficial for coffee farmers as they can be planted more densely, as well as being easier to harvest. However, Laurina cherries are more delicate than other varieties, so they must be harvested with care. They are also prone to falling off plants early because of heavy rainfall.

Laurina’s low caffeine content can also be detrimental to its growth. Caffeine acts as a natural pest deterrent, so reduced caffeine levels can leave it more susceptible to damage.

However, it’s now believed that the variety is more resistant to drought conditions, which has helped it to survive.

Researchers growing Laurina in Hawaii claim the plant grows at a slower rate than other arabica varieties, which is another factor contributing to its limited presence in the wider coffee market. At the same time, though, it does also yield more cherries per plant than other arabica varieties – indicating some potential to scale production.

The variety’s revival

Laurina production began to decline towards the end of the 19th century, almost leaving the variety at the point of extinction. 

Sugarcane farming eventually replaced coffee production in Réunion as it was more profitable. This means the island’s native coffee plants only grew wild, rather than being intentionally cultivated.

José Yoshiaki Kawashima is a coffee agronomist and founder of MI CAFETO Co. Ltd in Japan. He previously studied at the National Coffee Research Institute of El Salvador, before joining UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. to establish coffee farms in Jamaica, Hawaii, and Sumatra.

José tells me he was first made aware of Laurina in 1975 while he was studying. He says: “Ever since then, I’ve wanted to go to Réunion to discover more about the variety.”

During his first trip to the island, he says he spoke with the agricultural director there. José informed him about how important Réunion was for the coffee industry in general, and convinced him that if they found the coffee, they could redevelop it.

José and the local team searched for the variety during this trip, but they couldn’t find it. Before leaving, he left all the information he had about Bourbon pointu and went back to Hawaii. A couple of months later, the agricultural director called him to go back to Réunion because they had found 30 coffee plants growing in the wild. 

A few years on, in 2001, the Réunion government decided to take José up on the redevelopment of the coffee industry, with the support of the Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and the National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD). In 2002, they started a trial cultivation across the entire island. 

José and his team recruited volunteer farmers across the island through radio announcements. More than 300 farmers responded and 105 of them were chosen to take part in the trial.

“We cultivated some 50,000 seedlings from the 30 coffee plants we located,” says José. He tells me that each cultivation site measured around 1,000 square metres. José and his team monitored and assessed the growth rate, caffeine content, and cup quality of the variety. *The 50,000 seedlings were carefully selected and separated from the 30 coffee plants because some of them were not purebred.*

By the end of 2006, 800kg of Laurina green beans were collected. From those, José picked out the best, and around 200kg was exported.

“Within one week we sold out,” José says. The coffee was sold for US $70 per 100g.

Has Laurina production increased in other regions?

Gabriel Agrelli is Head of Market Development and Research at Daterra Coffee, a 2,800ha farm in Brazil. Daterra has been producing Laurina for some 20 years. 

Laurina was first brought to Brazil in the 19th century. By 1932, researchers were studying the variety at the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC).

Daterra began experimenting with the variety through a partnership with illycaffè and the IAC, and is currently growing plants across approximately 6ha of farmland. Over the past 20 years, the farm has selected the most productive plants for reproduction, thereby helping it to adapt to their farm’s climate.

“We might increase Laurina production in the future,” Gabriel tells me. “However, because the variety requires extensive care, production levels will most likely remain small and exclusive.

“Every time we plant a new field of Laurina, around 30% of the plants die in the first year,” he adds.

This is a significantly higher death rate than other arabica varieties. This is mainly because of the variety’s lower caffeine content. 

Gabriel emphasises that monitoring pest and disease levels is essential to ensure that most Laurina plants don’t become contaminated. 

“We place traps all over the farm, especially around the Laurina plants, to attract insects and pests,” he says. “But the benefit of growing it is that it is not as susceptible to drought as other varieties,” Gabriel adds. 

Through selected trials, Daterra found that the variety grows better in shady conditions, so the farm cultivates most of their Laurina plants under shade to improve yields and quality.

Is there a wider market for Laurina?

James Evans is the founder of Moon Mountain Coffee in Costa Rica, which also operates a coffee shop in California. Moon Mountain has a Laurina which has been a key selling point for the company. 

“People come from far away to purchase Laurina coffee,” he says.

In 2016, James bought 5,000 seedlings from another Costa Rican producer. Shortly after, Moon Mountain received a gold award for its Laurina at the 2019 Golden Bean North America roasting competition. 

Although the variety is mostly sold as a natural alternative to decaf coffee, more roasters are marketing the variety as a rare coffee with a unique flavour profile.

“Laurina has a taste profile that we don’t often experience with other Brazilian coffees,” Gabriel explains. “It is bright, sweet, and delicate, with a mild body, citrus flavours, and minimal bitterness.”

Laurina’s unique proposition in the coffee sector has led to high prices being paid for individual lots. In 2016, Daterra auctioned an anaerobic fermentation Laurina for US $58/lb, which at the time was a record-breaking price paid for a Brazilian coffee. 

“Demand for the variety has been increasing in recent years, mostly thanks to its increasing presence in global coffee competitions,” Gabriel tells me. 

In 2018, Emi Fukahori of MAME Coffee won the World Brewers Cup championship using Daterra’s anaerobically fermented Laurina. 

“We have also witnessed an increase in demand for low caffeine coffees,” he adds.

James emphasises that because Laurina is a delicate coffee, roasters must be careful when developing a roast profile. Lighter roasts will often taste underdeveloped with more sour notes, whereas medium roast profiles allow more of the variety’s natural sweetness to shine through.

Gabriel agrees, saying clients often claim roasting Laurina can be tricky. 

“There is a sweet spot,” he says. “The beans are small and dense, so there is a fine line between under and overdevelopment.” 

Generally, the denser and smaller that coffee beans are, the more energy is needed to roast them – meaning roasters should be more cautious with this variety.

Despite its challenges, Laurina presents a viable opportunity for both producers and roasters who are looking for rare or unusual coffee varieties.

Thanks to its naturally low caffeine content and flavour profile, the variety is becoming increasingly popular with a number of specialty coffee consumers. As such, there is reason to be confident about its potential to become much more prominent in the years ahead.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on Bourbon coffee varieties.

Photo credits: Daterra Coffee, José Yoshiaki Kawashima, Moon Mountain Coffee

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This projected fall in production can be attributed to a number of reasons, but one of the most prominent is erratic or extreme weather patterns. Weather patterns do fluctuate naturally, but it’s believed that these changes have been exacerbated by climate change. 

If this trend continues, yields could fall further in the decades to come, which would in turn cause the income of millions of coffee farmers around the world to fall.

To learn more about this challenge and what we can do to combat it, I spoke with several stakeholders working on a BREEDCAFS project in northwest Vietnam. Read on to find out what they told me.

You may also like our article on how we can combat the impact of climate change with hybrid coffee varieties.

Challenges in Vietnamese coffee production

The USDA forecasts Vietnam’s 2021/22 coffee production to be 30.83 million bags. Almost all of that will be robusta (some 29.68 million bags – more than 96%).

This means Vietnam is the second largest coffee-producing country in the world. Even at that scale, however, producers across the country face a number of challenges.

Ngoc Anh Sprünker is the chair at Detech Coffee, and the President of IWCA Vietnam. She says: “Vietnamese coffee has [historically] not been appreciated and hence [does not receive a high price]. 

“For example, in the 2019/20 crop year, there were times when traders belonging to multinationals did not pay higher than US $0.90/lb. Farmers can only [lose] at that price.”

She adds that single mothers and widowed farmers are even more vulnerable.

“The field work takes a toll on their health,” Ngoc says. “They earn less than 50% of a regular family, and their health is poorer in comparison to women in a family consisting of both a husband and a wife.”

Dr. Luu Ngoc Quyen is the Deputy Director at the Northern Mountainous Agro-forestry Science Institute (NOMAFSI). He tells me that the coffee varieties also pose a challenge.

“Catimor was introduced to Vietnam [in] 1984, but it produces inferior quality coffee when compared to other varieties,” he says. “It currently accounts for most of the arabica coffee production in Vietnam.”

While Catimor is known for its high resistance to coffee leaf rust and high potential yields, the variety has a reputation for being of low quality. However, Luu notes that this is often an unfair misrepresentation.

“The Catimor variety in Vietnam has been degraded,” he says. “The phenotype is uneven, and its quality is reduced. Therefore the selection and breeding of new high-quality and high-yield arabica varieties is extremely important.”

Pierre Marraccini is a coffee molecular physiologist at CIRAD, where he has worked since 2001. He has been working on the BREEDCAFS project in Vietnam since 2017, which focuses on coffee bean development, quality, and genetics.

“Arabica is scattered across the mountainous provinces of northwest Vietnam, including Dien Bien, Son La, the Central Highlands, Lam Dong, and Quang Tri,” Pierre says.

He also notes that Vietnamese arabica is undervalued in the global market, mainly thanks to a lack of knowledge about good farm practices. Furthermore, extreme weather conditions (such as 2019’s heavy frost in Son La that destroyed more than 3,000ha of coffee trees) leaves Vietnamese arabica farms vulnerable to climatic hazards.

Why plant new arabica varieties?

Clément Rigal is a coffee agronomist at CIRAD with a focus on sustainable farming practices and agroforestry systems.

“Wild coffee [varieties] grow in the forest under shaded environments,” Clément says. “Historically, varieties were bred to improve yield under full sunlight conditions, but at the expense of coffee quality and sustainable farming. 

“As a result, many conventional coffee varieties are no longer suitable to shaded environments and their yields fall under shade trees.”

In 2017, the BREEDCAFS project came to the Son La and Dien Bien provinces, with the aim of resolving the lack of genetic diversity on Vietnamese coffee farms.

Luu says: “The overall objective is to introduce and test new F1 arabica hybrids in order to see if they are well-adapted to [the] region, and to design agroforestry practices that will create high-yield coffee systems. These will be better suited to climate change and hopefully produce high quality.”

Pierre adds: “The new F1 arabica hybrids were developed by CIRAD [and] ECOM more than 20 years ago. They were first tested in several Central American countries.”

CIRAD and BREEDCAFS have imported seedlings of two F1 arabica hybrids and provided them to 12 Vietnamese farmers. F1 hybrids are first-generation offspring of distinctly different plant varieties that have been propagated in varieties.

In total, 40,000 seedlings of Starmaya and H1-Centroamericano have been distributed to local farmers, with Catimor used as a control. These seedlings have initially been planted as “demo plots”, managed by the farmers themselves.

Initially, in June 2018, the 12 farmers were provided with 400 seedlings each, for a total of 4,800. NOMAFSI, CIRAD, the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Agricultural Genetics Institute (AGI) then conducted annual phenotyping to evaluate the growth of the hybrids, and assess the presence of pests and diseases.

The first harvest then occurred from October to December 2020. The green coffee was then evaluated in laboratories by private partners (including Phuc Sinh, ECOM, and illy) to distinguish their physical, chemical, and cup qualities. 

Clément adds: “Field trials and phenotyping have been conducted at a range of elevations, [so] we can see which variety is best suited to which condition.”

Dao The Anh is the Vice-President of VAAS. He says: “The initial results of the demo plots showed that the new F1 hybrid coffee varieties performed better than the local Catimor plants in terms of yield and quality.”

Local farmers were also surveyed for their feedback on the new F1 hybrids. Hoang Thi Xoan is a farmer in the Son La province who lost a substantial amount of his trees during the frost in 2019. 

“The new varieties grow better over the same period of cultivation,” Hoang says. “They grow more branches, and yield more [cherries].” 

“The F1 varieties are better adapted to shade, which plays an essential role in quality and agroforestry systems, ultimately improving biodiversity,” Clément adds.

Cam Thi Thich is another farmer who lost income in 2019 because of the frost. Cam says: “If we had more shade trees then, the coffee plants would have been better protected from frost.”

Altogether, this positive response from farmers, private partners, and local government has prompted expansion. In the summer of 2020 and 2021, BREEDCAFS has distributed another 35,000 seedlings (for a total of almost 40,000). 

They have also kickstarted the accreditation process at a local scale, to keep expanding the adoption of these new varieties in the future.

After the end of the project, all the partners involved will continue working together with the local support of ECOM Vietnam to secure Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) accreditation for the F1 hybrids.

Improving farming techniques

Although planting higher quality and more climate-resilient varieties is a good first step towards improving Vietnamese farmers’ livelihoods, more work is necessary in the long term.

Ngoc notes that Detech is already supporting farmers to improve their practices at farm level.

“We are working with selected farmers to increase the ratio of ripe cherries during the harvest,” she says. “We also raise awareness about drying on [patios] in the humid Vietnamese climate, which should be well monitored [to] improve cup quality.”

Cam also says that farming techniques have changed more widely: “Since we [participated] in this project, we have planted [trees] more neatly and [followed] better orientation. As a result, we use less fertiliser so the cost is reduced.

“We also keep only one main stem for each tree instead of several stems, which makes the fruit bigger.”

Dao adds that growing coffee under shade makes the farms much more sustainable. 

“The past studies indicate that the F1 hybrid varieties clearly increase [in] quality when they are grown under shade. Beyond this, shade trees can also create microenvironments, and the trees adapt to climate change in these regions.”

Finally, Ngoc says that because many Vietnamese producers don’t drink their own coffee, IWCA Vietnam has helped producers in the country taste the new varieties. This, she says, helps them understand how important the better farming practices are.

“Giving away free ground arabica and encouraging farmers to drink the coffee they produce can foster a better relationship between producers and their crop.

“IWCA Vietnam organised two cupping sessions with hundreds of women to show them what good coffee tastes like. On average, the cup score for the new F1 hybrids is two to three points higher, and their green beans have less defects.”

How can new F1 hybrids benefit farmers?

Dao says: “Once these varieties are accredited by MARD, farmers will be able to increase both yield and quality, thereby improving their income.

“These varieties will then be propagated and disseminated at [a] large scale. The local government in Son La and Dien Bien are [planning] to regenerate about 9,000ha of old Catimor plants between now and 2025.”

This regeneration will gradually lead to Vietnamese farmers producing higher quality coffee, with plants that are better equipped to withstand the impact of climate change.

Improving quality

Ultimately, higher quality coffee will increase farmers’ ability to receive higher prices.

Dao adds: “Over time, both domestic and international processing companies will pay more attention to the region, and trade coffee at the premium prices.

“This can ultimately benefit the whole region by improving income, being more sustainable, and providing more stable jobs.” 

Hoang adds that farmers have already started receiving higher prices. “Last year, we sold these new varieties at better [prices] because [they] ripened [later]. During the late season, the price of cherries was higher.

“The new F1 hybrids taste better than Catimor, and I want to increase the areas of these new varieties in my own field.”

Resistance to climate change

By 2050, scientists predict that as much as 60% of the land that is currently used for cultivating arabica plants could suffer from the impact of climate change.

“Climate change, in the form of more frequently occurring droughts [and higher temperatures], can lead to tremendous crop losses,” Ngoc says. “The new climate-resilient varieties are bred to combat these problems in a better way.”

Shade-grown coffee is by its very nature more stable, and contributes to a more sustainable farm ecosystem. Furthermore, agroforestry systems improve soil protection and erosion, increase carbon sequestration, create natural pest control systems, and encourage greater biodiversity.

Income protection & diversification

When planting these new varieties, farmers also plant shade and fruit trees among the coffee plants. These additional trees can help them to diversify their income, improve soil health, and defend against environmental hazards.

Hoang notes that shade-grown coffee can better acclimate to the local environmental conditions in Vietnam. “Shade [trees] can reduce crop death by frost damage, and keep the soil moisture better in the dry season.”

Ngoc adds that intercropping can be effective, helping farmers diversify their income and creating more resilient ecosystems.

“Detech Coffee and Macadamia Dien Bien are developing a framework for a test phase of 30ha where we intercrop these new F1 hybrids with macadamia plants,” she says. “The intercropping can increase the tree volume per hectare, which potentially increases income and creates a more diverse ecosystem.”

Research already indicates that these new arabica F1 hybrids are of higher quality and better equipped to cope with the impact of climate change. Farmers working on the trial in Vietnam have also shown great interest in continuing to cultivate them.

Hopefully, this trial can pave the way for more resilient coffee varieties around the world. In time, these varieties could support producers around the world to adopt agroforestry systems and plant shade trees. In turn, this would allow them to maintain farm altitude, ensuring they wouldn’t need to relocate their crops in search of suitable weather patterns and temperatures.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how climate change impacts your coffee plants.

Photo credits: CIRAD, NOMAFSI

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The decaffeination process was first discovered in 1903 when Ludwig Roselius’ coffee shipment was accidentally submerged in seawater. Since then, the global decaf coffee market has grown and grown; in 2019, it was worth approximately US $1.65 billion in 2019. This has been in no small part fuelled by consumer behaviour – according to a 2017 NCA report, 68% of the US population believe they should reduce their caffeine intake.

So, what does this mean for coffee varieties that are naturally low in caffeine? Since 2018 World Brewers Cup Champion Emi Fukahori used the Laurina variety in her winning performance, they have become even more popular. Today, interest in coffee varieties which are naturally high in quality and low in caffeine is growing.

To learn more, I spoke to a roaster and a coffee researcher. Read on to find out what they told me about Laurina and other low caffeine varieties.

You may also like our article on millennials turning to decaf and what this means for café owners.

Laurina: What is it?

Christophe Montagnon is the CEO of RD2 Vision, a company that advises on coffee R&D.

“Bourbon Pointu, or Laurina, is most likely a mutation of the Bourbon that was cultivated in La Réunion,” he tells me. “The arabica Bourbon variety [originates] from La Réunion, [which was named] Île Bourbon in the past.”

The island of Réunion is east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, and was first documented by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century. It was colonised by the French in the 17th century, and remains a French territory to this day.

“The first Laurina trees were discovered and described on La Réunion in the early 19th century,” Christophe says. It is believed that arabica first arrived on Réunion from Yemen, where it thrived and mutated into Bourbon Pointu.

“It was called…’Bourbon Pointu’ [by local farmers],” he adds. “‘Pointu’ in French means ‘pointed’ or ‘sharp’, [referring] to the specific shape of the beans.

“In the 20th century, the French botanist Auguste Chevalier would name the tree ‘Laurina’, due to its resemblance to a laurel (an evergreen shrub or tree with glossy leaves).”

Laurina was also introduced to Brazil at some point in the 19th century. Around 1932, researchers began to study the variety at Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC). The first official study was released in 1954.

“Laurina is a mutation due to a single recessive gene, as described by Brazilian researchers [at IAC] in 1954,” Christophe explains.

Is there a market for it?

The IAC’s research concluded Laurina was unable to grow as successfully as other arabica varieties, mainly because of its naturally low caffeine levels. 

Ralf Rüller is the founder of The Barn in Berlin. “The caffeine levels work like an immune system for the coffee plant,” he explains. “So low caffeine varieties can die quickly. After the first year, you see that 30% need to be replanted because they died.” 

Production of Laurina in Réunion Island peaked in 1800 at 4,000 tonnes, but around 80 years later, the variety was almost extinct. Exports continued to France into the first half of the 20th century, with the last recorded cargo taking place in 1942 at 200kg.

However, interest in Laurina remained elsewhere. The IAC created the Laurina IAC-870 cultivar some time after publishing its study, but this was mainly used for research in the Campinas germplasm, rather than commercial production.

In the 1970s, during his time with the National Coffee Research Institute in El Salvador, Yoshiaki Kawashima discovered the Laurina variety. He joined Ueshima Coffee Co. Ltd in 1981, and travelled to Réunion in 1999 in search of it.

Kawashima was able to locate 30 Laurina trees growing in the wild, and subsequently dedicated eight years to recultivating them. Around the same time, Edgardo Alqipzar discovered Laurina trees growing in the wild in Costa Rica. He planted two trees in the Doka Estate in Alajuela, and after some time harvested roughly 80 plants.

In 2006, two tonnes of green Laurina from Réunion were produced. The first lots were sold in Japan. Kawashima’s efforts to recultivate the variety were successful: the Specialty Coffee Association of Japan declared the Laurina lots to be “premium”, meaning they had no faults or defects.

Laurina’s association with quality still continues to this day. Ralf explains this led The Barn to source this and other similar varieties after some decaf samples were unable to pass the roaster’s stringent quality control measures.

“Our values lie in building the market for high level specialty coffee through single origin coffees from 86 points and above, showcasing terroir and clean flavours. However, this excludes decaffeinated coffees.

“With this in mind, we searched for a natural product with low caffeine, and we came across Laurina, then later Aramosa.”

Why are low caffeine varieties becoming more popular?

Ralf tells me more about The Barn’s decision to offer low caffeine coffee instead of decaf. “We started with a slogan: ‘our answer to decaf is locaf’,” he says. “We started this two or three years ago, [when] the Amsterdam Coffee Festival [was] on. 

“There was a discussion [at the event] about The Barn’s low caffeine coffee. It tastes amazing,” he says. “We are happy [with] this product and we have strong demand for it.”

The push for higher-quality, lower-caffeine coffee is largely attributed to the millennial demographic. In 2017, the NCA reported that people aged between 18 to 24 were the biggest consumers of decaffeinated coffee, comprising around 19% of all US consumption. This is likely driven by the millennial habit of drinking coffee throughout the day, rather than solely in the morning or early afternoon.

“There are also regions where people drink coffee in the evening,” Ralf says. “That was our market for low caffeine varieties.” 

In order to maintain quality, Ralf says that The Barn sourced their low caffeine varieties from Daterra – a renowned coffee estate founded in 1976.

“We were looking for producers that would [care for] their plants,” he explains. “We started working with Daterra in Brazil [because] they have a huge capacity for R&D and have carried out a few projects over the years with Laurina and Aramosa.”

Daterra have been researching and producing Laurina for around 12 years and hold an annual Masterpieces auction featuring it; in 2018, the highest price paid for a Laurina lot was US $141.10 per pound. 

The Brazilian estate also cultivates Aramosa, a hybrid of Coffea arabica and the rare Coffea racemosa species, which is also naturally low in caffeine. A recent Daterra Masterpieces auction featured Aramosa lots which had been processed using a range of different methods, including honey and carbonic maceration.

“We also work with Volcan Azul in Costa Rica [who are producing] a beautiful Laurina for us,” Ralf adds.

Locaf vs decaf: A breakdown

“Laurina usually has 0.2 to 0.3% caffeine, [while] regular arabica has 1.4 to 1.8%,” Ralf explains. “Aramosa probably has around 0.7 to 0.8%, so we usually say the locaf varieties have less than 50% of regular arabica.”

However, it’s important to note that these levels are still considerably higher than decaf coffee. To be classified as decaffeinated in the EU, for instance, coffee must be 99.9% caffeine-free. 

But reaching these levels has historically required the use of targeted decaffeination processes. Benzene was initially used in the early 1900s, until it was found to be carcinogenic. 

After benzene, other solvents were used, such as methylene chloride and ethyl acetate, which stripped the coffee of its caffeine content. However, despite claims by the US Food and Drug Administration that low levels of these solvents were harmless, consumer concern grew over their use.

The Swiss Water process was first used commercially in 1979; it was the first mainstream technique that removed caffeine without the use of solvents. Swiss Water decaffeination is where green coffee is soaked in water and green coffee extract (GCE), before being passed through carbon filters which bind to the caffeine molecules and remove them.

Despite this, some stigma does remain about the health effects of decaf coffee, as well as concerns about the loss of acidity and sweetness and increased astringency. This means the demand for low caffeine varieties is growing.

“We have a low caffeine subscription service, which is popular,” Ralf says. “We feature either Laurina or Aramosa. There’s certainly a growing demand for connoisseurs that are looking for quality and that are not necessarily [looking for] caffeine.”

Could low caffeine varieties replace decaf?

The exclusivity and high quality of Laurina and Aramosa mean they have potential to grow in the wider specialty coffee market. In 2016, Starbucks purchased an entire Laurina harvest from a farm in Nicaragua, amounting to around 340kg. The coffee was sold at 20 locations in US $16 half-pound (227g) bags. It sold out within 24 hours.

In 2018, The Barn purchased two 86+ Laurina lots, one washed and one natural. The natural in particular was described as having notes of guava, honey, and plum – its complex flavour profile meant it had potential for specialty coffee consumers more widely.

Ralf says: “Today, we have washed and natural Laurina, but the carbonic maceration and anaerobic fermentation [coffees] usually fetch [higher] prices.”

Experiments with different processing techniques will further advance the sensory profiles for low caffeine varieties. This, Ralf adds, is something that The Barn is investing in.

“We are one of five roasters working on long-term [field] projects [with] Daterra,” he says. “We have half a hectare of Aramosa plants, and we are experimenting with honey processing and anaerobic fermentation.”

However, there are barriers for Laurina and Aramosa in the wider market, for both roasters and farmers.

“Laurina and Aramosa are so expensive because they are really rare and hard to plant in nurseries,” Ralf says. “Laurina coffee trees, for example, are susceptible to diseases and don’t have high yields. The best environment is at high altitudes, where pests and diseases are usually less present.”

This makes them difficult to manage and ultimately more expensive to cultivate. As such, they’re often not a viable option for smallholder farmers who are less financially stable.

Thanks to their highly desirable flavours and aromas, there is arguably potential for Laurina and Aramosa (alongside any other emerging low-caffeine varieties) in the specialty coffee sector.

However, their low caffeine levels seem to be detrimental to their growth and make them expensive to grow. In addition, the comparatively small market means there is little incentive for farmers to cultivate them.

More research on how farmers could successfully harvest these varieties will be necessary for the global coffee market to unlock the true market potential of low caffeine coffee.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article about the “truth” behind decaffeinated coffee.

Photo credits: The Barn

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Despite the fact that there is limited discussion about its provenance and history, the genetic diversity of robusta is incredibly broad. This means there is a largely unexplored world of robusta varieties out there, many of which have not been formally recognised.

To learn more about robusta’s genetic diversity and its many varieties, I spoke to three coffee professionals who work with fine robusta coffee. Read on to find out what they said.

You may also like our article exploring the connection between canephora & robusta.

Canephora, conilon & robusta: A history & overview

Coffea canephora is native to western and central sub-Saharan Africa, where it has grown indigenously for an unknown amount of time. 

One of the earliest recorded discoveries, however, can be traced back to Belgian-occupied Congo – now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo – in the 1800s. Not long after, however, the species was also found in Uganda, specifically in the forests surrounding Lake Victoria.

Lucas Venturim is a fifth-generation coffee producer and the Director at Fazenda Venturim, a fine robusta coffee farm in Espírito Santo, Brazil. “[There are] two groups of plants from the same species (Coffea canephora) found in different areas of Africa,” he tells me. “Botanically, [they are] called ‘populations’ because you can have countless varieties in each group. 

“One population is called robusta, which was found first in Uganda. The other is called conilon, now grown in Brazil, but found first in the Kwillou River Valley in the DRC. It was later found throughout central Africa. The word ‘Kwillou’ was adapted informally in Brazil and later became ‘conilon’.”

Through the 19th and 20th century, the canephora species was summarily introduced in other countries around the world, perhaps most notably in southeast Asia. It became popular on coffee farms thanks to its overall resilience and ability to grow in a number of different environments, unlike arabica.

“Canephora [can] adapt to a range of different growing conditions,” Lucas explains. “[It can grow] from sea level to 1,500 m.a.s.l., in rainy regions and in very dry areas, and so on.”

Cleia Junqueira is a roastmaster at Coffee Planet in Dubai. She has been a certified Q robusta grader (or R grader) since 2017. 

“Coffea canephora has two main varieties: robusta and nganda,” she says. “The difference [between them] is where the farms are [located] and how [they adapt] to climate and latitude. [They are] mostly grown in Vietnam, [but] also in India, Africa, and Brazil.”

Genetic diversity

Denise Bustamante is the Process and Quality Manager at Dublinsa SA, which produces fine robusta at Hacienda Legrand, a farm in Santa Elena, Ecuador. She is a Q robusta and arabica grader, which she says allows her to “respect and identify the nuances of both species”.

“Robusta is more diverse [than arabica], yet it is challenging and enriching to study,” she says. “There is also still little information about it,” 

One of the biggest reasons that the canephora species is so genetically diverse is that it cannot pollinate itself. 

“Canephora depends strongly [on] cross-pollination,…[so] the genetic basis is almost endless,” Lucas tells me. “This effectively means that [the plants can] have many different genetic loads – [for example], different ‘fathers’ [but the] same ‘mother’.”

This means there is a theoretically infinite number of wild canephora varieties growing in coffee-producing regions across the globe. 

In addition, Lucas says the lack of self-pollination means that farmers often need to plant a number of different varieties at once. “Cross-pollination means that you [need] to plant at least 10 to 15 varieties in the same area,” he explains.

Denise tells me that Dublinsa SA organises the cross-pollination of their robusta varieties to produce the most productive and best quality plants. 

“In 2007, along with COFENAC, a coffee research institution, we carried out a project to select, adapt, and identify the best [robusta variety] clones in Ecuador,” she tells me. “With these, we developed Ecurobusta 01 [by] selecting plants based on phenotype and genotype, following DNA mapping analysis. This allowed us to choose those which expressed desirable characteristics under specific agroecological conditions.”

Specific canephora varieties can be identified through a number of different visual plant attributes (such as the size and shape of the leaves, for instance). Over several years, Denise says they cultivated a “clonal garden” with “elite clones”, gradually taking pollen from specific clones to develop a desirable “polyclonal hybrid”.

“Cup quality was [important],” she tells me.” After that, we were able to launch our Café Legrand 100% single origin robusta and 100% Ecurobusta [coffees].”

Robusta’s market position

Canephora currently comprises between 30% and 40% of global coffee production. Vietnam is the world’s largest individual producer by volume; according to Statista, the country grew approximately 30.2 million 60kg bags in the 2019/20 crop year. 

However, canephora production has increased significantly around the world in recent years, particularly in Brazil’s conilon population. This has been reflected in the number of different varieties the country has introduced in the 21st century.

Lucas says: “The most grown variety in Brazil is Conilon Vitória, which was released in 2002. After this, [there is] Conilon Diamante, Conilon Centenário and Conilon Jequitibá, [all] released in 2012.”

This popularity has been reflected in the fact that Brazil’s conilon production levels have been increasing overall since the year 2000, aside from a drop from 2016 to 2018. 

“All of [these varieties] were selected for a range of criteria, including productivity, pest and [drought] resistance, and cup quality,” Lucas adds. “The aim is to find which variety is best for each farm and its client.”

In Ecuador, producers grow both arabica and canephora, albeit on a small scale. This is why there is a growing focus on adding more value on the production side (by cultivating specialty arabica or fine robusta).

Denise explains that most of the canephora grown in Ecuador is robusta. She says that as it has grown there for almost 70 years, producers have more knowledge about how to grow it, and the adapted plants are more resistant to pests and diseases.

“Ecuadorian robusta used to only be used for instant coffee, but now the market is evolving,” she says. “There is higher quality robusta coffee accessing the specialty [sector] on a small scale.

“We (Dublinsa and Hacienda Legrand) are pioneers in Ecuador, designing processing methods that create and develop new and more flavours and positive attributes as a side study from our time developing Ecurobusta. We know quality is achievable, and we know that it is a reality.”

How are quality & production improving?

We use the word “specialty” to refer to high-quality arabica coffee, but there is separate language used for higher quality canephora. “We do not [say] specialty-grade robusta, instead we call it ‘fine robusta’,” Cleia explains.

Fine robusta is defined as “robusta coffee that is free of primary defects and exhibits unique and desirable characteristics unique to a microclimate of origin”.

As a species, canephora has a reputation for being too low quality to be palatable on its own. “Commodity-grade [robusta] mostly [has] notes of potato, garden peas, pepper, cedar, pipe tobacco, toasted bread, roasted peanuts, earth, medicine, smoke, rubber, or straw,” Cleia says. “It is woody, salty, and astringent.” Broadly, these flavours are not considered to be desirable.

However, improvements throughout production and post-harvest are leading to higher quality. Denise points out that if farmers take greater care with their crops, it will yield better tasting results for the consumer, just as is the case with arabica.

“Poorly treated coffee, whether arabica or robusta, will express undesirable notes,” she says. “[With] fine robustas, you can get caramelised notes, fruits, spices, interesting acidities – such as malic, phosphoric, and lactic – intense fragrances, long-lasting aftertastes, and round, heavy, and velvety bodies.”

The genetic diversity of both the conilon and robusta populations can also create disparities in plant characteristics, which can have a significant impact on how the beans are processed. “Because of the plant’s complex genetics, the seeds are [often] not uniform, even in the same plant,” Lucas explains. “Thus it becomes necessary to [sort the beans based on size during] dry milling.”

As with arabica, innovations in processing can also lead to a wider range of unusual flavour profiles for robusta and conilon, helping them appeal to a wider audience.

“We do mostly pulped natural, [which produces] great quality with great consistency,” Lucas says. “However, we also do some naturals, honeys, and since 2016, fermented coffees. All the lots are traceable, and we cup all of them separately to assure quality [for] the customer.”

Fine robusta & its wider market potential

It’s vital to understand that canephora is fundamentally different to arabica, and that each variety is unique in its own way. 

“Canephora has more soluble particles available, [so] usually you have more body, [and it can easily] get overextracted and bitter,” Lucas notes. “It’s important to adapt or use different extraction parameters [to achieve high quality results].”

He goes on to tell me that the same is true for roasting canephora beans. “Researchers studying the cellular structure of canephora [found that it] is [more] rigid [and] takes more energy to transmit heat [throughout] the bean,” Lucas adds.

This is a key challenge for fine robusta. If robusta or conilon are roasted with the wrong profiles, the inherent characteristics of the bean won’t be able to shine through, and perceptions won’t improve.

Denise adds that “genetic diversification is crucial” for fine robusta if it is to thrive.

“[This will help] correlate the variety for a specific location, purpose and market,” she explains. “For example, do you want to have [high] cup quality, high yields, or a pest resistant plant?”

For example, she tells me that Ecurobusta has been designed to cover all of these variables. Going forward, she says that more studies will be necessary to understand genetic diversity, gene expression, and environmental triggers in canephora cultivation.

Lucas notes that these improvements in quality are key. “[The] specialty market is so important to robusta growers’ families,” he says. “Now they [have a] different pathway to sustainability.”

The land available for arabica production is expected to decrease by as much as 50% by 2050 due to climate change. This is already pushing farmers to search for higher elevations to get the best environmental conditions for cultivating specialty coffee. 

If robusta varieties are able to grow at lower elevations and yield desirable cup profiles, there may be less of a necessity to “chase” optimum arabica temperature ranges into higher altitudes.

“Openness in the industry is crucial to give premium and fine robusta an opportunity to be a solution,” Denise concludes. “This will help the families involved in coffee production to be more sustainable and profitable, and support customers looking for new sensory experiences.”

While fine robusta is a comparatively small trend that is still in its infancy, the genetic diversity of the canephora plant represents a number of opportunities for farmers across the coffee sector.

Denise says that the most important thing, however, is just to recognise that canephora and arabica are fundamentally different. “Don’t expect to cup or taste a robusta like an arabica,” she says. “Allow high quality robusta to express its own personality and story.”

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on whether or not fine robusta can be considered quality coffee.

Photo credits: Fazenda Venturim, Guillermo Lizarzaburo

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Although excelsa has been widely cultivated and consumed for many years in Africa and Asia, its origin is largely misunderstood. This means the beans are often not cultivated, processed, or roasted correctly, and are summarily regarded as being low in cup quality with no distinctive flavour characteristics.

However, much like robusta, when farmed and processed with care and precision, excelsa can yield beans with positive, desirable, and unique flavours. To learn more, I spoke with Dr. Oliveiro Guerreiro Filho from the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC), and Komal Sable of South India Coffee Co. Read on to find out what they told me.

You may also like our article on liberica coffee.

The origins of excelsa

While today, excelsa is cultivated in southeast Asia (including Vietnam and the Philippines) and India, it was actually first discovered in 1903 in Central Africa, where it was also known as Coffea dewevrei or dewevreié. 

Until around 15 years ago, excelsa was believed to be a species of the Coffea genus in its own right. It was only in 2006 that it was officially reclassified as the dewevrei variety of the liberica species. 

The resulting confusion has underpinned most of excelsa’s recent journey in the modern coffee market. This has also been driven by the fact that the “excelsa coffee” label is often used when selling liberica varieties (much like how the words “robusta coffee” are broadly used to describe all C. canephora varieties). 

The confusion in turn leads to more generalisation and synonymous use of these terms, which consequently means less reliable data on accurate production levels. It may also be responsible for decreases in the quality of excelsa coffee. Altogether, this gives farmers little incentive to implement quality control measures.

Ultimately, the International Coffee Organization (ICO) offers no official statistics on the production or trade of excelsa coffee. When we reached out to the ICO to ask why, secretariat and communications officer Rena Gashumba said that “the demand for excelsa and liberica coffee is not considered commercially significant”.

Excelsa plant profile

Despite the 2006 reclassification of excelsa as the dewevrei variety of the liberica species, researchers continue to debate whether or not it should be recognised as a species in its own right.

Excelsa coffee grows best at altitudes of between 1,000 and 1,300 m.a.s.l., and unlike arabica and robusta, it is an arboreal (tree-like) plant, rather than a shrub. This means it requires vertical space to grow, rather than growing into the area around it on the ground. And while it is productive and resilient, excelsa is difficult to manage and requires extensive care.

The leaves of the excelsa plant are large (on average, 26cm long by 13cm wide) and leathery. Its flowers bloom multiple times throughout the harvest season, despite the fact that fruit maturation takes around a full year. These flowers are bigger than those on arabica and canephora plants. Excelsa also produces asymmetrical beans that are, on average, around 9mm long and 6mm wide.

Excelsa beans are also lower in caffeine than both canephora and arabica. Dr. Oliveiro Guerreiro Filho is a senior researcher at the IAC in Brazil. He tells me that the organisation’s germplasm bank shows that the caffeine levels in excelsa beans range from 0.86 to 1.13g per 100g, compared to 1.2 to 1.5g for arabica and 2.2 to 2.7g for canephora. 

However, despite this, excelsa trees are resistant to many of the common diseases and pests that other plants are not. These include coffee leaf rust, nematodes, and the coffee leaf miner moth. Excelsa is, however, susceptible to trichomycosis, a fungal disease.

Variety or species?

Komal Sable is a fifth generation coffee farmer working at South India Coffee Co., a producer and exporter that works with specialty Indian arabica, robusta, and excelsa beans from farms in the Western Ghats. 

She notes that despite excelsa’s classification as a variety of liberica, there are key differences in even the shape of the beans between the two. The liberica bean, she tells me, is shaped like an almond, whereas excelsa beans are smaller and rounder.

Komal goes on to tell me that any differences between the two beans are typically overlooked. As a result, in India, she says the tendency is for producers to group them together. Both trees are often referred to as “mara kaapi” in the local language, which directly translates to “tree coffee” – leading to further confusion.

Oliveiro says that the species vs. variety debate has continued despite the reclassification in 2006. This, he says, is largely down to conflicting results between the genetic studies of the liberica and excelsa species.

According to Oliveiro, there are findings that indicate high levels of genetic differentiation between excelsa dewevrei and other cross-pollinating liberica varieties. Further studies comparing the structure of chromosomes in both species also suggest that despite their similarities, excelsa and liberica should be considered separate species.

Growing excelsa: The challenges

As well as having larger leaves, excelsa trees can grow to be more than 15m tall, with a treetop diameter of 6m to 7m. Thanks to the plant’s high productivity levels, farmers need to frequently prune the trees, which can be difficult to manage at these heights. This means more labour is required, further increasing the cost of production. This is just one of many reasons that excelsa hasn’t spread further afield among coffee producers.

Oliveiro also points out that the species’ prolonged ripening period contributes further to a higher production cost, and also makes it difficult for farmers to implement any kind of plan for cultivation.

However, he says the lack of awareness is arguably the most significant barrier. “Contrary to what happens with the other marketed species, there are no improved cultivars or technological packages based on solid and well-established research for the cultivation of both excelsa and liberica coffee varieties,” he notes.

Ultimately, the market for this species is minuscule. Even in the communities where excelsa is grown, knowledge is usually shared from generation to generation. Furthermore, farmers often keep the beans for their own consumption, as there’s no real demand. 

Finally, even if there was interest in producing excelsa at a larger scale, there’s no established commodity market or standardised price, making regular trading at any kind of major volume practically impossible.

Roasting and cupping

Despite the issues with its production, when excelsa is farmed and processed with care, it can yield a complex and interesting cup profile.

Komal says: “In 2020, we processed 200kg of excelsa [coffee] for specialty consumption. We started 2021 with orders that would require us to process at least 5 tonnes of [coffee] to fulfil them.”

She says that the excelsa bean has a denser mucilage than arabica, and has far fewer soluble solids. This means that existing roast profiles for excelsa shouldn’t be derived from any other bean, and that new curves and best practices must be used.

In addition, its lower solubility means that excelsa beans may need to be roasted at higher temperatures or for longer periods to reach optimum flavour profiles.

Roasters who work with excelsa state that medium-light roasts can produce berry-like and fruity notes, as well as woody and popcorn-like flavours. As the roast gets darker, the bean yields a fuller body with notes of chocolate and cream.

Finally, while natural processing is by far the most common, Komal notes that South India Coffee Co. currently offers double fermented black honey excelsa, with “complex, very berry-like” notes.

Does it have potential?

Despite its insignificant presence across the global coffee market, excelsa’s lower optimum altitude may be an indirect solution for farmers who are affected by climate change. 

In theory, cultivating excelsa could prevent them from continually moving to higher altitudes to achieve target growing temperatures. However, without any kind of commodity market and the current, minuscule levels of demand, a full switch is highly unlikely and an unrealistic proposition.

More realistic, perhaps, is the possibility of excelsa trees being used as grafting rootstock for arabica and robusta plants. This is because its roots grow faster and are more resistant to certain diseases and pests in some coffee producing countries.

For the specialty coffee sector, which places high value on rarer and more exclusive beans, Komal says that “there is a market”.

However, she adds: “Due to the challenges in harvesting, I think growing it at scale may be a problem. The lack of a C price for this [type] of coffee is a challenge too.

“The art and science behind the farming of excelsa is still very much in its nascent stages. However, we hope that with continued experimentation and buyer feedback, we can help establish it as another specialty option for the consumer.”

It’s clear that the biggest barrier for excelsa coffee is its lack of awareness. This has in part been driven by confusion regarding the debate on whether or not it is a species, which has likely led to inaccurate reporting. 

In time, with more research, more data, and more production, there could be more of a market for this unusual bean, but as it stands this does not seem likely. That said, with climate change already affecting the area suitable for coffee cultivation, it seems more important than ever to investigate more resilient and robust varieties. Even if excelsa isn’t suitable for widespread cultivation, its genetic makeup may offer a “hidden” solution.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on tasting “forgotten” wild coffee species.

Photo credits: South India Coffee Co.

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