Ecological quality as a coffee quality enhancer. A review

Abstract

As both coffee quality and sustainability become increasingly important, there is growing interest in understanding how ecological quality affects coffee quality. Here we analyze, for the first time, the state of evidence that ecological quality, in terms of biodiversity and ecosystem functions, impacts the quality of Coffea arabica and C. canephora , based on 78 studies. The following ecosystem functions were included: pollination; weed, disease, and pest control; water and soil fertility regulation. Biodiversity was described by the presence, percentage, and diversity of shade trees. Coffee quality was described by the green bean physical characteristics, biochemical compounds, and organoleptic characteristics. The presence and diversity of shade trees positively impacted bean size and weight and reduced the percentage of rejected beans, but these observations were not consistent over different altitudes. In fact, little is known about the diversity of shade trees and their influence on biochemical compounds. All biochemical compounds varied with the presence of shade, percentage of shade, and elevation. Coffee beans from more diverse tree shade plantations obtained higher scores for final total organoleptic quality than simplified tree shade and unshaded plantations. Decreasing ecological quality diminished ecosystem functions such as pollination, which in turn negatively affected bean quality. Shade affected pests and diseases in different ways, but weeds were reduced. High soil quality positively affected coffee quality. Shade improved the water use efficiency, such that coffee plants were not water stressed and coffee quality was improved. While knowledge on the influence of shade trees on overall coffee quality remains scarce, there is evidence that agroecosystem simplification is negatively correlated with coffee quality. Given global concerns about biodiversity and habitat loss, we recommend that the overall definition of coffee quality include measures of ecological quality, although these aspects are not always detectable in certain coffee quality characteristics or the final cup.

Peaberry shape and size influence on different coffee postharvest processes

“…On the other hand, the coffee quality is influenced by the biochemical components of the bean's endosperm, specifically those related to cell wall polysaccharides, lipids, and proteins (Fischer et al, 2001; Torrez et al, 2023). A set of genes linked to pectin degradation, protein modification, lipid metabolism, and flavonoid biosynthesis have been identified, which are involved in both the formation of peaberries and some quality characteristics of the bean (Gope & Fukai, 2022).…”

The influence of coffee clones and postharvest methods on the physical quality of eight clones of local robusta coffee in West Lampung, Indonesia

“…Classifying coffee beans is based on the size required by the Indonesian National Standard regarding coffee beans, avoiding coffee bean defects, and foreign objects included in the beans must be removed (Widyotomo and Mulato 2005). It could absorb heat better and cook homogeneously (Torrez et al 2023). In addition, the large and uniform seed sizes produce a uniform roasting result quality that correlates with taste (Subedi 2010; Alemnew and Kebede 2020).…”

Microorganismos de suelo y su relación con la calidad de la bebida de café: Una revisión

“…La calidad en la bebida de café es el resultado de factores y condiciones del suelo (Veloso et al, 2020), altitud (Tolessa et al, 2017), genética (Machado et al, 2022), sombra (Torrez et al, 2023), manejo agronómico (Cabrera-Rodríguez et al, 2020;Jurburg et al, 2020), plagas y/o enfermedades (Echeverria-Beirute et al, 2018). Por ejemplo, en el cultivo de café arábica, altitudes elevadas influye directamente en la composición química de los granos, así como el perfil microbiano y sensorial, en particular el aroma y fragancia (Martins et al, 2020).…”