Bousra Coffee – A Case Study in Cambodian Specialty Coffee Excellence

Bousra Coffee is a useful case study for understanding how Cambodia's emerging Fine Robusta category can move from farm development into a commercial product. The strongest public evidence supports a specific set of claims: KOFI launched Bousra Coffee in September 2025; Mondulkiri coffee submitted for Coffee Quality Institute review was reported at 80.5 points and classified as Fine Robusta; and the finished Bousra blend combines 50% Cambodian Fine Robusta with 50% South American Arabica at a medium roast level.

The 80.5-point reference

KOFI and the Phnom Penh Post reported that coffee from Mondulkiri submitted for CQI review scored 80.5 points. The reporting describes the result as Fine Robusta recognition and as a first for Cambodian coffee.

For procurement purposes, that result should be treated as evidence tied to the evaluated coffee, not as a blanket score for Bousra-region coffee, KOFI's entire supply or Cambodian Robusta generally. A buyer purchasing a later lot should request the documentation connected to that specific lot.

What is actually in Bousra Coffee?

The public product description is straightforward:

• 50% Fine Robusta from Mondulkiri, Cambodia
• 50% Arabica from South America
• Medium roast

That formulation is commercially interesting because Cambodian Robusta is a named and substantial component of the product rather than an anonymous cost-reduction ingredient.

The blend itself should not be confused with the green coffee that was evaluated. One is a roasted commercial product; the other is the origin coffee used as a quality reference.

KOFI's Mondulkiri investment

KOFI reported that it established a model coffee farm in 2023 and, by 2025, was working with more than 400 farming families. The company also reported propagating more than 300,000 TRS1 seedlings for distribution across approximately 300 hectares in Mondulkiri.

SNV separately documented KOFI's work in Mondulkiri through the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development. By the second quarter of 2024, KOFI had contracted 83 farmers, established a milling facility and identified suitable expansion areas. Later KOFI reporting reflects a larger farmer network, which is consistent with a program that expanded over time.

This distinction between dates is important. The 83-farmer figure is a documented 2024 project checkpoint; the 400+ figure is a later 2025 company-reported scale.

Processing and food-safety credentials

KOFI and Phnom Penh Post reporting state that the roasting operation producing Bousra Coffee holds GHPs, HACCP and ISO 22000:2018 certifications. These credentials support confidence in food-safety and production systems.

They do not mean that every green lot is automatically Fine Robusta. Sensory classification, food-safety certification and farm-level traceability are separate types of evidence and should be presented separately.

What buyers can learn from the Bousra example

The case is valuable because it connects several parts of an origin-development system:

1. Farmer training and farm-level engagement
2. Seedling and nursery development
3. Processing infrastructure close to the producing area
4. External quality evaluation
5. A finished product that names Cambodian Robusta
6. Public communication that makes the origin visible

For importers and roasters, this provides a reason to sample Cambodia. It does not remove normal supplier due diligence.

B2B checklist for a current Cambodia Fine Robusta lot

Before turning the Bousra story into a purchase decision, request:

• exact lot and harvest identity;
• producer or aggregation information;
• processing method;
• physical preparation data;
• representative green sample;
• sensory report and supporting CQI/Q documentation when claimed;
• available volume;
• minimum order and quotation basis;
• packaging and shipment plan;
• pre-shipment and arrival QC procedures.

A professional buyer should compare those items with equivalent information from Vietnam, Uganda, India, Indonesia or other Canephora origins rather than buying only on novelty.

Why the case matters for Cambodia

Bousra Coffee is evidence that Cambodian Robusta can be brought into a higher-quality commercial conversation when investment is made upstream and the product is documented clearly. The useful takeaway is not that one 80.5-point result permanently establishes Cambodia as a Fine Robusta origin. The useful takeaway is that the country now has a documented reference point from which repeatable quality can be built.

For the broader origin and procurement context, see the Robusta Cambodia complete buyer guide.

Sources and verification

• Phnom Penh Post: Cambodia coffee beans gain international recognition by CQI
• KOFI: Cambodia coffee beans gain international recognition by CQI
• SNV: Partnering with businesses for agri-food transformation
• Coffee Quality Institute: Q Coffee evaluation process