SacuanjocheEducation Lot

When discussing the history of how Arabica species coffee originally spread and came to be cultivated across the globe, it's common to hear mention of a "genetic bottleneck." This term describes the significant reduction in the genetic diversity of the Arabica species as it left the vast genetic pool native to Ethiopia. Specifically, this bottleneck occurred because only a limited number of genetically distinct varieties were originally planted outside of Ethiopia. Namely, two varieties, “typica” and “bourbon”, became known as the “parent varieties,” which were among the first to be widely established around the world. We might, however, consider the “java” variety to be another one of these later foundational transplants. Originally thought to be closely related to typica, the java variety was selected directly from Ethiopia and gained its name after being introduced by the Dutch on the island of Java in the late 19th century. Genetic testing later confirmed this variety as a selection from an Ethiopian Landrace population called Abysinia.

Demonstrating somatic embryogenesis efforts at CATIE agriucltural research center

But what does that mean exactly? What is a landrace anyway? Specialty roasters often use the term “Ethiopian Landrace[s]” as a stand-in for a specific single variety. This can mislead consumers into believing that landraces are a collection of discrete varieties (or even a single discrete variety when the term “Landrace” is used in the singular). This reinforces a consumer expectation that there might be a repeatable flavor profile from a landrace, in the same way that there might be with a uniform variety. However, a landrace is by definition not a standardized variety or even a collection of them. A better definition of a landrace is a genetically diverse population of locally adapted plants that share similar characteristics as a result of years of traditional farming and farmer selection efforts. Abysinia, for example, is the name given to one such population. For plant breeders and geneticists, the very fact that a landrace represents a population with greater genetic diversity is what gives it weight as a source of breeding material, in ways that a discrete variety does not. So, in the world of roaster-retailers, it’s maybe an overly semantic distinction to make, but when it comes to the work being done by plant breeders and geneticists to secure the future of coffee, it’s an essential one.