Sarawak Liberica Refinement Project

This project aims to enhance the quality of Liberica and Excelsa coffee in the Sarawak and Borneo region.

Our strategy comprises 5 components: Quality Improvement, Sustainability, Empowerment, Transparency, Market Access

Based on the above principle, Our team provides advice and guidance to local Liberica cultivators on various aspects, including proper germination techniques, effective cultivation practices for healthy and high-yielding Liberica trees, disease management, appropriate processing methods, market analysis, and the establishment of a sustainable purchasing program to ensure profitable returns for Liberica growers in Sarawak. It is important to note that there are no binding agreements involved in this project.

We are a group of coffee experts and certified coffee graders recognized by prestigious organizations such as the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), Coffee Consulate Germany, and Coffee Quality Institute (CQI).

Our journey towards refining Liberica coffee began in 2017 when we were inspired by the German coffee expert, Dr. Steffen Schwarz. We then embarked on a mission to collect diverse varieties of Liberica coffee from villages in Sarawak. At that time, Liberica was perceived as a low-quality coffee and was largely neglected in the wild. With proper care and processing, the quality of Liberica coffee was later recognised by coffee experts in Germany during the Intergastra Coffee Summit.

We were invited to share our thoughts on Liberica coffee at TEDx Petaling Street the same year.

In 2019, we co-organized the Borneo Coffee Symposium with the Sarawak Agricultural Department. Coffee experts and farmers from around the world were invited to share their experiences with local coffee cultivators. An MOU was signed between Earthlings and the Department of Agriculture Sarawak to help boost the local Liberica coffee industry.

The world's first Liberica Roasting Competition was held by Earthlings Coffee and Q-Cup Coffee Roasters simultaneously with the Borneo Coffee Symposium. An international panel of judges was invited to evaluate the competition.

The first Liberica flavour lexicon report was compiled by Dr. Steffen Schwarz from the Coffee Consulate Germany, based on the flavour descriptions provided by a group of international judges.

Since then, we have developed a series of Liberica products and also collaborated with Mr. Jason Brooke, whose ancestor, Rajah Brooke, is believed to be the first to introduce the Liberica coffee species into Sarawak, creating the Brooke Blend Coffee.

In 2023, after the pandemic, we began to assist local Liberica growers in the Padawan area.

And during March, we were invited by Mr. Alasdair Clare to assist and support Liberica growers in Long Banga by providing them with coffee cultivation and processing advice and establishing a direct-trade relationship.

June 2023, we collaborated with the Department of Agriculture Sarawak to conduct a seminar for our fellow Liberica growers in Long Banga and Long Balong, further deepening our cooperation.

We later visited Uma Bawang by the invitation of John Barah, Alexander, and Peter Mering, providing training to the local Liberica growers.