As climate change puts growing pressure on arabica and robusta — the two species that dominate global coffee production — industry attention is turning to Excelsa (Coffea dewevrei), a lesser-known species native to tropical and West Africa and Southeast Asia, with a mild flavor and low caffeine content. Temperatures above 30°C reduce arabica yields and bean quality, while erratic rainfall and rising pest pressure, particularly from the coffee berry borer, are complicating cultivation in many traditional growing regions.
Excelsa is already grown commercially in India's Kodagu district (the South India Coffee Company sold more than 4 tons of green Excelsa in 2025, with an estimated 5 tons for 2026), in Uganda (several hundred acres across at least 200 export-oriented farms), and in South Sudan, with trials underway in Vietnam. Aaron Davis of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, warns: "In the next decade or sooner, we may see some major disruptions in coffee cultivation."
Source: Daily Coffee News