Coffee Smarter Pro: The Rise of Specialty Robusta
Ft. Jared Hales, Green Coffee Buyer & Co-Founder of Hacea Coffee Source.
Ft. Jared Hales, Green Coffee Buyer & Co-Founder of Hacea Coffee Source.

Topic: The Rise of Specialty Robusta Coffees
Coffee Smarter Expert: Jared Hales, Hacea Coffee Source
Connect: www.haceacoffee.com • @haceacoffeesource on Instagram

Pre-disposure is not a word. I know that. I said it in the podcast, but I know it isn’t a word.
The conversation over specialty Robusta is getting more serious due to climate change. The regions where Arabica can be grown is shifting as weather patterns shift. Some coffee farmers may not be able to produce the yield needed to survive with Arabica alone, but Robusta is a hardier plant that can be grown at lower elevations and higher temperatures with higher yields. It may just be the answer.
There is also a more recent uptick in Robusta’s status as Specialty Coffee. The Coffee Quality Institute’s offering of an Q CoffeeTM Robusta Grader certification certainly conveyed a bit of status. More attention is elevating the efforts going into growth and innovation.
While the characteristics of robusta are often less sweetness and more bitter tastes, that isn’t to say that can’t change as farmers work their magic and more robustas are produced, processed, roasted, and offered.
Marketing can have a big impact on a taste.
At the farm level they think generationally. It is a responsibility not as obvious to the daily consumers or even roaster buyers, but is how we should consider our impact as coffee drinkers.
Roast! West CoastRyan Woldt
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