Canephorum Meise – Keyspeaker
Meet The Speakers
Canephorum enters its fourth round. Once again, we do not wish to treat Coffea canephora as a simplified category, but rather as a species with measurable diversity, biological depth, and real-world market conditions. This is precisely why we need perspectives that rarely come together in one place. Our speakers combine field research and taxonomy from Central Africa, genetic resource work from Uganda, analytical chemistry and spectroscopy from Brazil, applied roasting chemistry from Austria, biodiversity research from Belgium, and international quality and training practices from Switzerland. The program is complemented by a market and origin perspective from Germany, which demonstrates how knowledge translates into decisions.
This diversity is not an end in itself. It highlights where the most important questions regarding Canephora lie today. How do populations differ genetically and ecologically? Which markers aid in classification and authentication? Which processing and roasting decisions can be chemically justified? And how do we establish standards and a tasting language that evaluates Canephora more precisely and fairly? Below, we briefly introduce each person and, where appropriate, provide links to relevant works and reference points.
Dr. Michel Rocha Baqueta is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Chemistry at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil. He is also accredited as an adjunct professor in the Graduate Program in Food Science at FEA UNICAMP. His research combines food science with analytical chemistry and consistently translates measurement data into practical questions regarding coffee quality.
In terms of research, he works at the intersection of spectroscopy, chemometrics, and metabolomics. In the context of coffee, his focus is on the chemical characterization, differentiation, and authentication of Brazilian specialty Coffea canephora. This involves the reliable assignment of origin, quality characteristics, and geographical indications. Particularly relevant for practical applications is his approach of combining NIR and NMR data with robust chemometric models to separate samples by origin, variety, and quality, and to detect adulteration or contamination, such as with wheat or soy. His research was awarded the Prêmio CAPES de Tese.
His path into the coffee sector began through food science and analytical chemistry. Before pursuing an academic career, he worked for three years in the food industry. During his doctoral studies at UNICAMP, which included a research phase at Sapienza University of Rome, he established a research line that combines precise analytics with practical quality issues in the value chain.
Published studies
- Baqueta, M. R., Marini, F., Rocha, R. B., Valderrama, P., & Pallone, J. A. L. (2023). Authentication and discrimination of new Brazilian Canephora coffees with geographical indication using a miniaturized near-infrared spectrometer. Food Research International, 172, 113216. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113216
- Baqueta, M. R., Alves, E. A., Valderrama, P., & Pallone, J. A. L. (2023). Brazilian Canephora coffee evaluation using NIR spectroscopy and discriminant chemometric techniques. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 116, 105065. doi: 10.1016/j.jfca.2022.105065
Dr. Catherine Kiwuka
Dr. Catherine Kiwuka is a Ugandan coffee researcher at the Plant Genetic Resources Centre of the National Agricultural Research Organization. Her work lies at the intersection of coffee research, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience. Her primary focus is on the genetic diversity and drought stress response of Ugandan Coffea canephora, with a particular emphasis on the value of wild populations for climate-adapted breeding. In doing so, she combines genetics and conservation with a clear practical question: Which genetic resources will make future production systems more robust?
She is known for her doctoral work on Coffea canephora under drought stress. This work revealed a clear genetic structure and significant variation in drought stress response among populations. Building on this, she addresses both the diversity of native and cultivated Ugandan Coffea canephora and the adaptive potential of wild populations in the context of climate change. For Canephorum, it is crucial that she does not treat Coffea canephora as a fixed commodity category, but rather as variable and adaptable. This sharpens the focus on local adaptation and on decisions that ensure breeding and resilience in the long term.
Published studies
- Kiwuka, C. (2020). Genetic diversity and phenotypic variation of wild, feral and cultivated Coffea canephora in relation to drought stress (PhD thesis, Wageningen University). doi: 10.18174/530909
- Kiwuka, C., Goudsmit, E., Tournebize, R., de Aquino, S. O., Douma, J. C., Bellanger, L., et al. (2021). Genetic diversity of native and cultivated Ugandan Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora): Climate influences, breeding potential and diversity conservation. PLOS ONE, 16(2), e0245965. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245965
Dr. Lukas Macheiner
Dr. Lukas Macheiner is a coffee researcher who trained at BOKU. He is also connected to the family behind the Salzburg-based roastery 220GRAD. This dual perspective combines scientific precision with practical roasting experience.
His best-known research examines how origin, fermentation, and roasting alter the chemical composition of green coffee, roasted coffee, and the brewed beverage. A central reference point is his dissertation: Impact of Origin, Fermentation, and Roasting on the Chemical Composition of Coffee Beans and Brews. In his publications, he has worked on topics including green coffee infusions as sources of caffeine and chlorogenic acids, the isomerization of chlorogenic acids as a monitoring approach for roasting processes, and the formation of biogenic amines in commercial roasting. His dissertation received an Alimentarius Award, and his work on green coffee infusions was honored with the 2020 Czedik–Eysenberg Prize.
For Canephorum, it is crucial that this research anchors discussions about quality, processing, and roast development in measurable data. It links process decisions to verifiable changes in the bean and in the brew. This creates a robust foundation for discussing Coffea canephora with the same analytical precision that many in the field have long demanded.
Published studies
- Macheiner, L., Schmidt, A., & Mayer, H. (2021). A novel basis for monitoring the coffee roasting process: Isomerization reactions of 3-caffeoylquinic and 4-caffeoylquinic acids. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 152, 112343. doi: 10.1016/j.lwt.2021.112343
- Macheiner, L., Schmidt, A., Wagner, M., & Mayer, H. (2022). Thermogenic formation of biogenic amines during commercial coffee roasting processes. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 154, 112664. doi: 10.1016/j.lwt.2021.112664
Dr. Piet Stoffelen
Dr. Piet Stoffelen is a senior researcher at the Meise Botanic Garden in Belgium, where he has worked since 1999. He has devoted a significant part of his career to coffee field research and biodiversity conservation in Central Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His taxonomic work and his long-standing presence in the field have helped shape how we understand diversity within the genus Coffea today, including genetic structure, newly described species, and the resulting priorities for conservation and breeding.
His perspective is particularly relevant for Coffea canephora because he consistently treats the plant as a diverse species, not as a uniform raw material. Through the documentation of wild populations in Central and West Africa, his work demonstrated that Canephora consists of clearly distinguishable genetic groups and local ecological adaptations. It is precisely these differences that form the basis for serious discussions regarding resilience, long-term suitability for cultivation, and quality issues.
Throughout his career, he led numerous botanical expeditions, helped build one of the most significant living coffee collections, and published extensively on taxonomy, conservation strategies, and international scientific collaboration. In doing so, he has created reference systems that link herbarium specimens with populations in the field and methodologically validate species delineation in tropical woodlands. For Canephora, whose complexity often contrasts with limited research depth, this work reveals potential that would be virtually impossible to harness without a clear taxonomy and conservation strategies.
Published studies
- Stoffelen, P., Anthony, F., Janssens, S., & Noirot, M. (2021). A new coffee species from South-West Cameroon, the principal hotspot of diversity for Coffea L. in Africa. Adansonia, 43(26), 277–285. doi: 10.5252/adansonia2021v43a26
- Davis, A. P., Govaerts, R., Bridson, D. M., & Stoffelen, P. (2006). An annotated taxonomic conspectus of the genus Coffea (Rubiaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 152, 465–512.
Dr. Robrecht Bollen
Dr. Robrecht Bollen is a research scientist at the Meise Botanic Garden in Belgium. His work combines coffee biodiversity research with issues relevant to selection, production, and evaluation in practice. His work focuses on the conservation, screening, and valorization of coffee species, with a clear emphasis on Coffea canephora. To this end, he integrates genetics, structured sensory analysis, metabolomics (as a method for chemically profiling plant compounds), and agronomic traits to understand how biological diversity can be translated into cup quality and field performance.
He entered the coffee sector via food technology and also works as a coffee grader. This dual perspective shapes his research because laboratory analysis and sensory evaluation are not conducted separately but are conceived as an integrated decision-making system. His doctoral thesis focuses on Congolese Coffea canephora from the INERA-Yangambi collection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a globally important center for Canephora breeding. Over two harvest years, he analyzed 70 genotypes and integrated genetic data, sensory analysis, agronomy, and metabolomics.
For Canephorum, it is particularly significant that its findings establish a robust link between genetic diversity and quality. Sensory profiles have proven stable over the years, and metabolite patterns — especially in leaves — have demonstrated predictive potential for cup quality. At the same time, differences between genetic groups and hybrids become apparent, each exhibiting distinct profiles both sensorily and agronomically. This supports a nuanced discussion of how genetics, processing, and the environment each contribute to the outcome, and where targeted selection within Canephora diversity can be applied.
Published studies
- Bollen, R., Verleysen, L., Katshela, B. N., Kambale, J. L., Ebele, T., Ruttink, T., et al. (2024). Sensory profiles of Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) genetic resources from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2024.1382976
- Bollen, R., Rojo-Poveda, O., Verleysen, L., Ndezu, R., Tshimi, E. A., Mavar, H., et al. (2024). Metabolite profiles of green leaves and coffee beans as predictors of coffee sensory quality in Robusta (Coffea canephora) germplasm from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Applied Food Research, 4(2), 100560. doi: 10.1016/j.afres.2024.100560
- Bollen, R., & Rojo-Poveda, O. (2025). The impact of coffee genotype and processing method on the sensory and metabolite profiles of Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora). European Food Research and Technology. doi: 10.1007/s00217-025-04696-z
Lukas Harbig
Lukas Harbig is a co-founder of the German green coffee importer cumpa and the Canephorum initiative. He serves as the managing director of cumpa and works at the intersection of the green coffee trade, partnerships in growing regions, sustainability issues, and quality communication surrounding the specialty coffee Coffea canephora.
He is a trader with an international network and sees himself as a connector between producers worldwide and roasters and consumers in Europe. Lukas is convinced that excellent coffee is possible across different Coffea species, regions, and altitudes. He views Canephora as widespread but largely misunderstood, and therefore in a unique position to reshape the market.
A central part of his work involves creating a practical market for Canephora through sourcing, education, events, and a more precise discussion of quality. Since 2024, he has served as an international judge for the Cup of Excellence.
Gloria Pedroza
Gloria Pedroza works at NKG Quality Service in Zug, Switzerland, where she oversees quality assurance and training initiatives across the international NKG network. Originally from Guatemala, she has lived in Switzerland for more than 20 years and has built her career within the Neumann Kaffee Group. Her focus is on quality assurance, sensory evaluation, and coffee education. This is not academic research in the strict sense, but it is the infrastructure that makes quality comparable and communicable in everyday practice.
Gloria is an international quality manager, educator, and sensory judge. She works as a Q Arabica and Q Robusta instructor, an SCA trainer, and a certified sensory judge. She also won the World Cup Tasters Championship in 2006. Her career as a professional cupper began in 1998 in Guatemala. Her first role was with NKG’s local export company. This led to a profile that combines cupping, green coffee quality, and training across the supply chain.
For Canephorum, this perspective is central because it brings Coffea canephora into a more precise discussion of quality. It reinforces the standards, skills, and shared tasting vocabulary needed to evaluate Canephora quality in a consistent, fair, and reproducible manner. This improves comparability between lots, reduces misunderstandings between producers and buyers, and makes quality development in Canephora more practical to implement.
