Where do robusta coffees sit in the specialty market?

Xicotepec de Juárez, Puebla. Photo by René Padilla Quiroz

Altitude is a contributing factor to the quality of the coffee a producer can grow; be that through temperature achievable on the land, or the kinds of coffees that can thrive there. Robusta prefers to grow at lower altitudes than many arabica varieties.

So what happens if your farm sits too low on a mountainside to grow the more sought after, and more profitable, coffees that your neighbours can at higher altitudes?

Sadly, the elevation of your farm may limit your access to the specialty market entirely.

This reality has been problematic for us at Raw Material.

If our goals are focussed on ensuring market access and better profitability for as many producers as possible, then our specialty sphere is a barrier to the betterment of a lot of producer livelihoods.

We have always wanted to purchase robusta if there was demand. And fortunately, more eyes are looking at the realms of heightened quality from robusta. Altitude shouldn’t be a barrier to market access for producers through our work. And as specialty robustas appear that we can match with demand, we see a perfect window of opportunity.

We have begun our robusta purchasing from producer groups in Mexico. These are presently from Union De Productores Mexicanos Tierra Nueva (Chiapas), Chilchotla (Oaxaca), and Xicotepec de Juárez (Puebla).