The CQI Fine Robusta Standard: Everything You Need to Know
A complete breakdown of the CQI scoring protocol and its impact on farmers.
The Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) extended its specialty evaluation framework to Robusta, recognizing its 40% share of global production. Administered by certified R-graders, the protocol scores coffee across ten attributes up to 100 points . A score of 80.00-84.99 designates "Fine Robusta," while 75.00-79.99 is "Premium Robusta," and below 70 is Commodity. Fine Robusta relies on deliberate quality focus: hand-selected ripe cherries, controlled fermentation, and absence of off-notes . The economic impact is profound; while commodity Robusta might sell for US1.20−1.80/kg,FineRobustacommandsUS4.00-8.00/kg. This premium incentivizes farmers in Uganda, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia to invest in quality harvesting, fundamentally transforming agricultural livelihoods.+4
Origin Coffee Cambodia
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