Repositioning Vietnamese Robusta: from local heritage to global standards

In the coffee world , Robusta beans have long been considered the “humble” younger brother of Arabica. But in Vietnam, the world’s largest exporter of Robusta, a story is gradually being written. This story is not about output, but about identity, pride and aspiration to bring Vietnam’s “black diamond” coffee beans to a worthy position on the international map. Leading this wave is Highlands Coffee, a brand that is redefining Robusta as a symbol of Vietnamese character.

The unique identity of Vietnamese Robusta in the coffee world

Vietnam accounts for nearly 40% of the global Robusta market share, but for decades, the value of this bean has often been undervalued compared to Arabica. However, this prejudice is gradually changing due to the shift in consumer tastes and the relentless efforts of dedicated businesses. Robusta is gradually being seen as a distinct identity - rich, strong and full of potential.

Photo caption — Ms. Nguyen Thi Thom - Coffee Product Manager at Highlands Coffee.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thom, Coffee Product Manager at Highlands Coffee, shared: “As a Vietnamese, I find Robusta suitable for me. Robusta is rich, strong and resilient, just like the Vietnamese people themselves.”

This perspective reflects Highlands Coffee’s core strategy: not to “soften” or hide the characteristics of Robusta, but to invest in understanding, improving and telling the story of this bean more accurately. This is demonstrated through research on blending formulas, improving roasting techniques and developing signature products such as Vaaang Robusta.

Christopher Jordan, Director of Highlands Cai Mep Coffee Roasting Factory, an expert with more than 25 years of experience at leading brands such as Starbucks and Verve, also shared the same opinion: “Robusta is really entering a period of revival for many reasons. One of them is the explosion in improving the processing stage, when farmers start to select coffee cherries more carefully by hand. Along with that, experimental processing methods such as anaerobic fermentation are really changing the flavor of Robusta. When selected and processed well, it becomes a very interesting coffee that can shine in many modern brewing forms such as pour-over or espresso.”

The Foundation of Excellence: Standardization from the Heart

For Vietnamese Robusta to confidently reach international standards, the excellence in human skills needs to be supported by a stable, consistent and standardized production system. Realizing this, Highlands Coffee has invested nearly 500 billion VND to build the Highlands Cai Mep coffee roasting factory. With an area of 24,000 m² and a design capacity of up to 75,000 tons per year, this is not just a production facility, but a commitment to quality.

Strategically located right at Cai Mep port, the factory is equipped with PROBAT roasting technology from Germany and strict quality control systems. The entire process from receiving raw materials, inspection, roasting to packaging is standardized and digitalized. “The new factory plays a very important role. The core value is how we produce products with the most stable and best quality to consumers.”, Ms. Thom shared about the role of the factory. And for her, modern technology must go hand in hand with people. She repeated the words of founder David Thai: “Modern technology can only resonate at its highest level when we have people who understand that technology, about the products we are making, then we can produce the best products”.

Mr. Christopher Jordan also shared proudly about his team at Highlands Coffee: “Our facilities are very modern, but what impresses me the most is the team of people here. Our Vietnamese team is truly world-class in every expertise – from R&D, product development, engineering, production, QA to QC – it is an excellent team.”

Highlands Coffee’s journey shows a clear path: to reach out to the world, it is not necessary to erase identity. On the contrary, it is the sincere deepening, understanding and honoring of indigenous heritage, combined with international standards of quality and innovation, that is the key to creating sustainable value.

With strategic steps and a long-term vision, Highlands Coffee is making an important contribution so that in the next 5 years, as Ms. Thom predicted, Robusta beans will be more strongly welcomed by the world, not only as a commodity, but as a messenger carrying the story, culture and pride of Vietnam.

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/doanh-nhan/tai-dinh-vi-robusta-viet-tu-di-san-ban-dia-den-chuan-muc-toan-cau/20250621102410893