06 24 81 82 93
06 24 81 82 93
The Canephora Project

#Don't Blame the Bean!

A New Perspective on Robusta

Most people know Canephora as Robusta. Often a cheap, low-quality coffee. But that doesn't have to be the case at all!

The reason much Robusta is of low quality lies in how we, as people and as the coffee industry, handle it. We want to keep the price as low as possible, so we do not pay for quality. This is reflected throughout the entire coffee chain:

  • In all international quality regulations, lower standards are set for Robusta than for Arabica.
  • Farmers and producers of Robusta receive a lower price per kilo.
  • There is much less research into Canephora as an agricultural crop.
  • During roasting, the beans are mixed with other varieties and usually roasted using the wrong technique.
  • All SCA-certified training focuses on Arabica coffee.
  • The term specialty coffee is only applicable to Arabica.

As a result, baristas and roasters know very little about Canephora and how to make beautiful espresso with it. It is a logical consequence that you, as a coffee drinker, cannot enjoy a delicious Canephora but are served a bitter Robusta instead. However, this is not due to the coffee beans themselves. That's why we say: #DontBlameTheBean!

Stephan, een Oegandese Canephora producent, staat aan een droogtafel. De koffiebessen liggen te drogen in de zon.

Fortunately, there are more and more people in the coffee industry who want to bring about change in this area. A few examples:

  • There are increasing numbers of coffee farmers and producers specializing in growing high-quality Canephora. For example, Stephan (see photo), the producer of the Canephora we use in the project.
  • Mikolaj Pociecha has put a lot of time and effort into developing roasting profiles for Canephora. He also wrote two books (Highly recommended!) on the subject, including tips for brewing Canephora as filter coffee.
  • Under the leadership of Dr. Fabiana Carvalho, the first scientific flavor wheel for Canephora was created in 2025.
  • There is increasing insight into and research into the varieties (subspecies) of Canephora. By, among others, the WCR (WorldCoffeeResearch.org).

About the project

At BaristaCollege, we are lending a hand. We do this, among other things, by giving masterclasses on Canephora and thereby spreading the knowledge.

However, we are still missing the tools for brewing espresso with 100% Canephora. For Arabica, these do exist: the SCA Brewing Standard. With this project, we aim to create the first Canephora Brewing Standard.

We are doing this through Community Based Research. There is room for 200 baristas in this community. All baristas will receive a Canephora masterclass and will then get to work making a perfect espresso with 100%  high-quality Canephora.

Time line

2025

  • Collecting knowledge

  • Purchasing coffee for the project

 

2026

  • April – Keynote 'The other bean' at Amsterdam Coffee Festival (5THWAVE Live)

  • July – Coffee arrives at BaristaCollege The Netherlands

  • September – Creating the roasting profile and gathering baristas for the Curious Community

  • October – Masterclass Canephora for the baristas of the community

  • November – Community receives the coffee and starts experimenting

  • December – Collecting and processing the project data

 

2027

  • January – Collecting and processing the project data

  • February – Origin trip to Uganda (including a visit to Stephan, the producers of the projects'Canephora)

  • April – Presenting the projects' results at the Amsterdam Coffee Festival

Become part of the Curious Community!

Do you want to be part of this community? Then subscribe to the newsletter or sign up as a participant!

Newsletter subscription Participate in the project!

What is the difference between Robusta and Canephora?

Coffea Canephora is the scientific name of the coffee species; Robusta is the name given to the Canephora variety that was introduced in Indonesia in the late 19th century. The name Robusta has been used in the trade ever since.

Why is Robusta often of low quality?

That is not due to the bean itself, but to how the coffee industry handles it. Less attention is paid to quality, there is less research, farmers receive a lower price and wrong roasting and brewing techniques are used.
That is why we say: #Don'tBlameTheBean!

When is the Canephora Project taking place?

The first shipment of Canephora will arrive at BaristaCollege in mid-July 2026. We will then need some time to create the right roasting profile. In October 2026, we will launch with the community, and we aim to publish the results in the spring of 2027. You can still sign up until December 2026.

Where can I sign up as a participant in the Canephora Project?

You can easily sign up via community@baristacollege.nl (please provide your name, adress and participatio option). Stay up to date on developments via the newsletter.

What is the goal of the #Don'tBlameTheBean project?

We want to create a first Canephora Brewing Standard. A standard for brewing espresso with 100% Canephora, just as there is already a standard for Arabica. This allows baristas and consumers to get to work extracting the finest flavors from this coffee variety

Can anyone become a participant in the Canephora Project?

Yes, anyone is welcome to join. However, you must have access to an espresso machine and coffee grinder.

What are the participation options for the Canephora Project?

The costs of the project are covered by BaristaCollege. This includes all preparation hours, the Masterclass you receive, and the research costs for creating the roasting profile and processing all the data. In addition, there are quite a few costs for packaging and shipping the coffee. The complete cost breakdown can be found in the news item.
Therefore, we offer all participants to choose one of three options:

  1. Join for free! BaristaCollege will cover your costs
  2. Cover the cost of your own testing kit and pay €17,50 (including EU shipping)
  3. Cover the cost of your own testing kit, make a small donation to the project and pay €25,- (including EU sipping)