Recap Canephorum Meise

Our Canephorum event in Meise was an outstanding experience. We welcomed more than 50 participants from over 20 countries: scientists, botanists, researchers, producers, traders, roasters, baristas and educators. Our audience has never been so diverse and inspiring.

Even in the Botanic Garden, surrounded by thousands of plants and trees, the heat wave was intense. Fortunately, the conference room in the historic Bouchout Castle offered at least some relief with a welcome breeze.

Dr. Piet Stoffelen and Dr. Robrecht Bollen opened the conference with their keynote on how Canephora became a global crop. We learned about Coffea laurentii, Coffea robusta and Coffea canephora—and that all three are, in fact, the same species.

Unfortunately, due to Ebola-related travel measures, Dr. Catherine Kiwuka from Uganda was denied her visa and could not join us in Belgium. Nevertheless, she contributed an excellent keynote on the value of African Canephora diversity based on her work in Uganda. Joining us online, she was also able to answer questions from the audience live.

After lunch, we explored the Botanic Garden, discovering various Coffea species—including some that are extinct in the wild. We were especially excited to see some of the oldest coffee leaf samples, collected by Émile Laurent in the Congo Basin in 1895, including some of the first specimens used by botanists to describe the species that would later become known as Coffea canephora.

We also cupped our way through a dozen Canephora coffees from three continents, representing different genetic backgrounds and award-winning producers, in the Botanic Garden’s own Kawa Bar.

In the afternoon, Dr. Michel Baqueta shared insights from his impressive research in Brazil on tracing the origin of Canephora, particularly Amazon Robusta. We learned more about Brazil’s rapidly growing Canephora sector and the fascinating Conilon–Robusta duality.

On the second day, Dr. Lukas Macheiner took us on a journey through the chemical processes that transform a dry Canephora seed into the roasted coffee bean we know and love—which, of course, is still a seed. We learned how these transformations influence the way we should approach Canephora as roasters.

Meise researchers Augustin Peeters and Christophe Van Neste presented their work regarding EUDR in a brief keynote. We then gathered in front of Bouchout Castle for a group photo before closing the conference with an interactive workshop. Four groups—each bringing together perspectives from science, production and industry—discussed future scenarios that could shape the development of Canephora. Every participant contributed their ideas, and it was inspiring to witness experts from different backgrounds exchange perspectives on the future of the species.