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find a variety that produces similar to Catimor. work of companies working hand-in-hand
After all, how can we expect farmers to agree with growers and producers on the ground
with decreasing yields if prices are not higher to improve sanitary conditions and process-
to compensate, or change from a cultivar that es, this is going to improve. More producers
has low susceptibility to disease, and tastes are being trained in sensory protocols
delicious? This tall order in Yunnan has been (thanks to trainings from companies like
met with various degrees of success. I person- CQI) and understanding how fermentation
ally know many farmers who are planting protocols and drying procedures can improve
Pacamara, Bourbon, Typica, Geisha, Java, and consistency.
the list goes on in pursuit of finding new op- The knowledge, training, and experience
tions. Nestle has also released a new variety they are receiving will drive them to turn the
and introduced it to farmers in the region. corner on the consistency challenges of the
The bottom line is Catimor is not going past and run forward producing beautiful,
to be replaced widespread. I still believe it consistent coffees that will make drinking
can be a pretty good cup of coffee and a fan- Yunnan coffee a memorable experience.
tastic option for farmers; however, we are
going to be seeing new varieties and options Innovation Abounds
being offered here in Yunnan.
In the years that I have been working
Improvements in Consistency in Yunnan, I have sat around the tea table,
which by the way make fantastic coffee tables
A common complaint I hear about too, tossing up ideas and challenging the
Yunnan coffee is that the quality from year status quo with young and old producers who
to year or batch to batch is not consistent. continue to push the envelope forward on
Of course, I don’t believe Yunnan is the only the potential for quality of Yunnan coffee.
region to struggle with this; however, I have Everything is being put on the table and
experienced it as well with coffees we have dissected. The layout and general workflow
received as samples from potential partners. of the wet mill, fermentation times and
Photo / Bryon Lippincott for YCT
But I am convinced that because of the hard methods, drying procedures, fertilizer regi-
ments, and more are just some of the areas
where farmers are pushing forward and
seeking to “do it better.” Over the years, I
have grown to respect the ingenuity, clever-
ness, and passion of the farmers I have
worked alongside in Yunnan.
The heroes of this story will continue
to be the farmers of Yunnan who strive for
New Varieties excellence and the roasters who showcase
and honor that hard work through introduc-
Within the Specialty Coffee industry there are certain biases that exist, ing and serving these coffees to consumers
some of which are founded on historical experiences and others that are, un- across the world. As I enjoy the last drop of
fortunately, purely anecdotal. The ‘Catimor bias’ is one such unfortunate posi- my delicious Yunnan coffee, I’m excited
tion many people hold. There is a general turning up of the nose and push back about the future for this region of the world
against Catimor as a cultivar. Even though with the innovation in processing, Photo / Bryon Lippincott for YCT and the way it will continue to challenge
care and attention to agronomy, and overall improvement in post-harvest pro- people’s biases and surprise them. I know
cesses, one can produce a high quality Catimor, it is frequent to find people the coffee will grow to be as rich, complex,
who upon reading ‘Catimor’ are not willing to give Yunnan coffee a chance. and beautiful as the people who work so hard
This bias paired with the passion for innovation has driven many farmers to produce it.
in Yunnan to pursue new varieties. It’s a hard path though. The challenge is to

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