By Dr Kenny Lee Wee Ting

This is an open letter to coffee farmers in Sarawak. Recently, I have received a number of questions from coffee farmers and related stakeholders, and many of these questions have been repeatedly asked. In this article, I will try to address the recent questions in a Q&A format.

Question 1: How true it is that Malaysia, particularly Sarawak, has the potential to become the primary core region for international specialty Liberica coffee?

In many versions of the coffee map, including the World Coffee Map published by the Specialty Coffee Association, Malaysia is always absent. This is not because Malaysia does not grow coffee. On the contrary, it is because Malaysia cultivates a variety that has long been overlooked by the mainstream market, Liberica coffee.

In fact, as early as 2011, in the map published by the Coffee Consulate, an internationally recognised institution for coffee research and education, Malaysia was marked as a rare producer of Liberica coffee within the “coffee belt”.

I myself was influenced by Dr Steffen Schwarz, the founder of Coffee Consulate, in 2017, which led me to change my perspective on Liberica and promote it within the local and international specialty coffee community.

The term "coffee belt" I mentioned above refers to the tropical region between 25 degrees north latitude and 30 degrees south latitude, the native region of the 130 known coffee species.

With the impact of global warming in recent years, coffee-growing environments have emerged outside the traditional coffee belt, such as in Sicily, northern Australia, and even Japan. In other words, the boundaries of the coffee belt have expanded in both the north and south directions due to climate change.

Nevertheless, over 60 traditional coffee-producing countries remain within the coffee belt. Malaysia is one of the two unique countries that predominantly cultivate Liberica, with the other being its native country, Liberia. Regarding why Liberica came from Liberia in Africa and ended up becoming a unique cultivar in Malaysia, and the relationship between Liberica and its variety Excelsa, I have already discussed these topics in another article titled "Recent Observations on Borneo Liberica Coffee."

In fact, countries like India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia (Kalimantan), and China (Hainan Island) also cultivate Liberica, but Liberica has never been their primary coffee production. Taking India as an example, a traditional coffee-producing country, their national treasure, the Arabica cultivar S795, is a variant derived from the natural hybridisation of C. liberica and C. arabica (with the maternal gene being Arabica).

During my visit to the State Coffee Research Institute in Chikkamagaluru, southern India in 2018, I saw a wide variety of Liberica samples in their archives. However, Liberica alone has not formed a widespread cultivation tradition there. Coffee Consulate's collaborating farmers in India do produce small quantities of Liberica specifically.

Barako coffee, also a type of Liberica, is cultivated in the Philippines, but the total quantity they produce is less compared to Malaysia. I continually receive a somewhat misleading document from individuals interested in investing in the Liberica industry. This document, which has been widely circulated, asserts that the Philippines had 84,544,625 Liberica coffee trees as of 2010.

However, in subsequent calculations in the same report, the reported yield from pulp to seed conversion for their so-called Liberica was over 20%. This yield is not consistent with the yield rate of Liberica, and the data in the report may have been misinterpreted. Nevertheless, I have heard that the Philippines has recently started large-scale planting of Liberica coffee, which is worth anticipating.

Furthermore, the native country of the Liberica species, Liberia, has never had high coffee production. According to an article published on Perfect Daily Grind in February of this year titled "How is specialty coffee produced in Liberia?", coffee production in Liberia has historically remained around 36,000 tons per year, primarily focused on producing Canephora (Robusta). Liberica's presence in the country is relatively weak.

Additionally, due to long-term political instability and civil war since the 1980s, many farmers have abandoned their coffee plantations or switched to other crops, leading to a significant decline in the coffee industry. In my recent attempt to assemble the genetic profile of Liberica, I needed samples of native Liberica genes from Liberia.

However, despite reaching out through personal networks domestically and internationally, I could not find Liberica coffee farmers in Liberia. In summary, we can conclude that Malaysia is currently the only country in the world with a complete history and tradition of cultivating and consuming Liberica coffee that continued to today and yields a considerable amount of produce.

Question 2: Malaysia has a longstanding tradition of cultivating and consuming Liberica coffee. So what? How does this give Malaysia an advantage?

This is important because these historical legacies provide Malaysia with advantages in the future development of Liberica, which other competing countries do not possess:

I. Liberica has been growing and evolving in different regions of Malaysia over the years. Besides adapting to the local natural environment, Malaysia has developed a greater diversity of Liberica varieties, particularly evident in the inland areas bordering Sarawak and Kalimantan.

Many of the samples we have collected were never seen in Peninsular Malaysia. Such discovery gives Malaysia the potential to establish a gene bank for Liberica. The various characteristics displayed in these Liberica varieties can develop further into Liberica cultivars with unique flavours.

II. Under Malaysia's MARDI (Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute) initiative, significant research has been conducted on Liberica, resulting in the selection of disease-resistant and high-yield varieties to be cultivated in Malaysia.

III. Malaysia has a diverse tradition of consuming Liberica coffee domestically. Currently, local demand for Liberica is so high that we need to import from the Philippines and Indonesia. This existing demand for Liberica provides ample opportunity to transform into a demand for more refined specialty-grade Liberica, such a leap will further support domestic Liberica production.

IV. Malaysia holds a special position in the World Coffee Map as a rare and historically significant producer of Liberica coffee. This unique historical status provides market attraction based on heritage and cultural symbolism for Malaysia's exported Liberica, which other countries do not possess.

V. Specifically Sarawak, as the largest state in Malaysia, has abundant land resources suitable for growing Liberica coffee. It is also home to a large population in the inland areas, addressing labour concerns and making it suitable for large-scale Liberica plantations. Therefore, from a strategic perspective, the Sarawak government's recent promotion of Liberica coffee cultivation is considered very astute.

Apart from these historical factors mentioned above, we also have three major opportunities at present:

I. According to a report released by the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) in 2017, due to climate change, by as early as 2050, Central American coffee cultivable land will decrease by 48%, Brazilian coffee cultivable land by 60%, and Southeast Asian coffee cultivable land will face a terrifying reduction of 70%.

Meanwhile, global coffee consumption is rapidly increasing, with countries like Brazil, India, China, Taiwan, and Indonesia experiencing significant growth in domestic coffee demand. The global coffee crisis is imminent.

However, while coffee research institutions around the world are struggling to transform coffee through various cultivation and genetic techniques to cope with the pressures of climate change, Malaysia already has a variety, C. liberica, which can grow perfectly in low-altitude tropical environments.

As of September 2021, botanists have discovered six new coffee species on the island of Madagascar. In total, there are 130 known coffee species worldwide, primarily distributed in Madagascar, its surrounding islands, the African continent, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia.

Among the currently known 130 coffee species, there are six main species that are currently commercially valuable or have the potential to be commercially valuable in the future:

(1) C. arabica

(2) C. canephora

(3) C. liberica

(4) C. eugenoides

(5) C. rasemosa

(6) C. stenophylla

Additionally, there are other coffee species in Mozambique that are said to be effective in combating coffee borers and have gained attention in recent years.

However, among all these coffee species, there is so far only one that is both commercially valuable and suitable for cultivation in low-altitude tropical regions, and that is Liberica. In other words, in the face of global climate extremes, Malaysia is particularly fortunate to possess a unique Liberica coffee variety that has the potential to withstand climate change.

II. Compared to the "second wave" coffee movement in the past decades, the recent rise of the "third wave" and "fourth wave" specialty coffee movements has significantly improved the market perception of Liberica. This provides a greater space for Liberica in the specialty coffee market, where consumers are willing to pay higher prices for coffee. 

In other words, it’s now the best time to develop Liberica coffee compared to any previous periods in terms of opportunities. In fact, countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines are actively developing the Liberica industry and introducing precision farming systems for specialty coffee.

If Malaysia does not catch up in time and professionalise our coffee cultivation system, we will most likely lose our market position as the primary producer of Liberica coffee to other countries. This is something that the Malaysian specialty coffee community absolutely does not want to see.

III. With the prevalence of specialty coffee culture, "coffee tourism" has become a popular topic in recent years. However, compared to visiting the conventional coffee-producing regions like Brazil or Ethiopia for the umpteenth time, visiting Malaysia, especially the exotic state of Sarawak in Borneo, to explore the globally less than 2% produced Liberica coffee plantations, is undoubtedly a more attractive option. In terms of Liberica coffee-producing regions, we have a unique advantage in the international coffee tourism field.

Now that we have discussed our advantages and opportunities, it may seem that cultivating Liberica is an inevitable path. However, the reality is far from simple.

Consider this: despite nearly 140 years of cultivation and dissemination, Liberica still accounts for less than 2% of the global coffee production among the three major coffee species. There are reasons for this. In the latter part of the article, I will focus on the economic and quality control challenges faced by Liberica cultivation.

Question 3: Why is coffee a more suitable crop for cultivation in Sarawak compared to other crops?

Firstly, for the indigenous communities in the inland areas of Sarawak, the biggest challenge they face when trading their agricultural products is the high cost associated with transportation and logistics. However, an even more difficult problem to address is the issue of product shelf life. Agricultural products such as bananas, pineapples, and vegetables can only be stored for less than weeks at most before they start to deteriorate.

As a commodity, coffee is a product that is well-suited for circulation. With proper processing and storage conditions, raw Liberica coffee can be preserved for one to two years, effectively resolving the transportation challenges faced in the inland regions. In this sense, coffee serves as a currency, like blood in our body, facilitating economic circulation in the inland areas. Other similar commodities are rice, pepper, palm oil, etc.

Before discussing coffee cultivation with farmers, it is customary to sit down with them and calculate whether, under the same labour input, they can earn higher income from other agricultural commodities. Only when it is confirmed that coffee is a more profitable crop for them, will we proceed to develop a tailored cultivation plan for them.

Question 4: Why is Sarawak more suitable for growing Liberica compared to the more popular Arabica and Canephora (Robusta)?

Many people ask me, isn't Sarawak suitable for growing Arabica?

In theory, any inhabited area that is 800 meters above sea level is suitable for growing Arabica. Or to be more precise, any place with sufficient insolation and a temperature difference between day and night ranging from 16 to 26 degrees Celsius is suitable for Arabica cultivation.

In Sarawak, due to our proximity to the equator and higher average temperatures, we generally require higher altitudes to produce Arabica with delicate flavours.

Here is the idea, In the specialty coffee market, there is a grading system based on the cultivation altitude. Generally, it can be categorised as follows:

Below 1000 masl: "soft bean"

1000-1200 masl: "semi-hard bean"

1200-1400 masl: "hard bean"

Above 1400 masl: "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB)

Generally, people tend to believe higher altitudes result in better coffee flavours (except for small island climates).

However, due to climate change, many regions that were previously considered high altitude have experienced temperature increases and are increasingly affected by pests and diseases. Nowadays, Arabica coffee farmers in many regions of the Coffee Belt even plant at altitudes exceeding 2000 meters in order to combat climate change and maintain quality.

Looking back at Sarawak, there are areas suitable for Arabica cultivation above 800 meters, such as Lawas and Bario Highland, where altitudes reach 1000 meters and above. By employing deep-rooted rootstock grafting techniques and implementing shade-grown cultivation to slow down the growth rate of coffee trees, it is not impossible to produce Arabica coffee with flavours similar to those grown at 1200 meters.

However, the cultivation techniques are challenging, and although the lower altitude may affect its market reach, relying on the rare single-origin branding of "Sarawak Arabica" or "Malaysia Arabica," it can still become a sought-after commodity for coffee enthusiasts domestically and internationally.

However, due to the fact that the vast majority of cultivated land in Sarawak is below 800 meters, the development space for Arabica is limited. It is generally believed that in terms of mass production, our production costs are high, and the price of Arabica produced cannot compete with coffee-producing giants like Brazil and Vietnam.

On the other hand, In terms of quality, we also cannot produce "Strictly Hard Bean" due to the insufficient altitude, which is highly sought after in the coffee circle. Therefore, it is not advisable to focus on Arabica coffee production, but again, to my opinion, this is not absolute and I will explain further in the future.

My answer to “what is the best coffee species to grow” is that “the best variety is any that can grow and reproduce healthily in our climate, has good flavour, distinctive characteristics, is mouldable, and can generate profits."

In fact, there are still many other varieties suitable for cultivation in Sarawak. As I mentioned before, if you visit the website of Amarella Trading, a sister company of Coffee Consulate, Germany, you will find various pure or mixed varieties of Arabica and Canephora (Robusta) that can be grown in similar mid to low-altitude environments ranging from 650 to 1200 meters, such as Oeiras, S795, Bourbon Amarello, Catuai Vermelho, Maragogype, Laurina, Obata, Tupi, HDTxCatuai, Sarchimo, SLN 9, CxR, SLN 274, and Old Paradenia.

With proper cultivation practices, these varieties can achieve high production levels and profitability in environments similar to Sarawak. It is possible for us to obtain reliable sources of these varieties through the network of Coffee Consulate, and we would hope that our government could support us in such initiatives.

I also recommend not underestimating the potential of specialty Canephora (Robusta) varieties that can thrive in the 500 to 1200-meter altitude range.

Furthermore, international coffee research institutions are currently dedicated to developing various tetraploid and diploid F1 (Filial one hybrid) varieties through biotechnology, as mentioned in Mr Han's book "The 4th Wave Coffeology." These varieties are designed to address climate change and pests. Some examples include:

"Centroamericano," a hybrid of Rume Sudan and Sarchimor T5296

"New C. Arabicas," formed by combining C. Eugenedes groups and C. Robusta groups

"C. ligeniodes," created by combining C. liberica and C. eugeniodes

These options must be considered on behalf of our coffee farmers. If their knowledge fails to keep up to date and is still hanging on to the “three main species” discourse from decades ago, we risk being outpaced by neighbouring countries in a matter of a few years.

In the following four questions, I will focus on exploring the challenges faced by the Liberica coffee industry in Sarawak and possible solutions.

To be continued...