Although robusta prices have also been increasing alongside arabica prices, robusta has historically been and is still generally cheaper than arabica coffee.
Andrew Hetzel is a coffee consultant. He helped to establish the first Fine Robusta Standards and Protocols in collaboration with the Coffee Quality Institute and the Uganda Coffee Development Authority.
The guide states: “Robusta coffee has historically been considered inferior to arabica coffee and subsequently not enjoyed the same price premiums and motivation for quality improvement seen in the specialty arabica market.”
Andrew explains how this has meant it has historically been sold at cheaper prices than arabica.
“With no differentiated market to sell robusta at higher prices, most of it is produced as cheaply as possible to maximise value,” he says. “This means that more defective beans are harvested, processed, and exported compared to the arabica market.”
For coffee to be classified as “fine robusta”, it must be free of any primary defects, including fungus or mould damage. Fine robusta must also have no more than five secondary defects, such as broken or cut beans.
However, because of a lack of investment in robusta production, there is significantly less formal training on how to spot and remove defective beans – meaning the quality of robusta coffee can be significantly lower.
“The yields from robusta trees are higher compared to arabica, and the trees are much more resilient to pests, diseases, and climate change,” Philip tells me. “Production costs are also cheaper, but it doesn’t have the same sensory profile as arabica coffee.”
Andrew also notes that while robusta is largely cheaper than arabica, when at higher levels of quality, this does become less of a given. “Many of the fine robusta coffees that I’ve worked with have actually been more expensive than their arabica counterparts; some were sold for US $2.50 to $3.00/lb, when the C price was sitting around US $1/lb.“