Future for Robusta

“Robusta is widely consumed in Vietnam, being the largest coffee production, second to Brazil.”

I had an insightful conversation with Son, owner of Do Gia Coffee, who owns coffee farms across Vietnam. Growing a whole range of varietals from Typica, red/yellow Bourbon, Catimor and Robusta, I asked him about the impact of climate change on his crops.

As climates get warmer, coffee cherries ripen at a faster rate meaning the fruit has less time to develop sweetness and flavour. Arabica is so delicate, that even the slightest change in temperature and elevation will impact its production.

Robusta is widely consumed in Vietnam, being the largest coffee production, second to Brazil. Over the years, Vietnam noticed that slowly people’s attitude to coffee is changing. Coffee is not just the caffeine kick, it is an enjoyable beverage with wide range of flavours, meaning that people pay more attention to what they are consuming. Coffee producers adopted the same methods as specialty coffee farms - hand-picking only the ripe cherries, processing with more care and improved quality control. With Robusta being more resistant against pest, robust against sudden weather changes, there is much more care and attention in growing these species.

I don’t think Arabica and Robusta coffee should be compared as both are completely different species. There is a lot of research and experimenting with Robusta, much of which are under-the-radar simply because it is deemed inferior. However, the future for Robusta is bright and based on my own experience and insight so far, I say keep an open mind and watch this space.