How Coffea Liberica Found Me: The Whole Story

My journey began in 2021, that is when I founded the inclusive café "Einzigartig" in Arlesheim, Switzerland. 

Right from the beginning, I wanted to prove with this café that inclusion in the job market works and that it can generate economic value. At that time, I was already a coffee lover, but my knowledge of coffee was quite limited.

Within two years, this has completely changed, and I have discovered a coffee variety that I know will revolutionize the future of the coffee world.

Inclusion along the Coffee Supply Chain

At Café Einzigartig, people with and without disabilities serve our customers and work in  the associated creative workshop, as well as the coffee workshop. 

We take pride in training all our employees, whether they have disabilities or not, to become "coffee specialists." 

We intentionally don't call ourselves baristas because we learn not just brewing but everything related to coffee.

From the Farm all the way to the Cup

Café Einzigartig has become quite popular, and is known for serving the best coffee in the area. 

But my vision goes much further; it extends far beyond Café Einzigartig. I want to prove that inclusion works along the entire coffee supply chain, from the coffee farm to the end customer at Café Einzigartig.

The Search for the Right Partnership

In autumn 2021 I started looking for partnerships with coffee farmers in Malaysia. Since my wife is from Malaysia, and the country is in the coffee belt, this choice seemed natural. I initially met coffee farmers in Borneo who cultivated Coffea Arabica. 

However, the administrative hurdles of doing business in Borneo as a Swiss national were too significant, and I couldn't make progress there. After this realization, it seemed like my dream was once again distant.

A Message that changed Everything

But then, while I was in Kuala Lumpur with my family, I was contacted on Instagram by an unfamiliar coffee producer. 

The simple message, "Hello Tobias, are you in Kuala Lumpur? I am a coffee producer. Shall we meet?" would change my life. The message was from Adam, the son of Uncle Esham, the operator of the coffee farm "House of Kendall." 

During our first meeting, he told me that his family had been growing coffee on the plantation since 1800, specifically Coffea Liberica.

The forgotten Coffee Bean

This was my first encounter with Coffea Liberica, and I was fascinated by this unfamiliar type of coffee. 

I immediately began delving deep, researching, watching films, and learning more about the history of coffee cultivation in Malaysia. Initially, I heard a lot of negative things about Coffea Liberica. 

Some even described it as inferior or even as a byproduct.

Discovering the True Potential

However, through Uncle Esham, I learned that this reputation was undeservedly bad. 

Coffea Liberica has many hidden qualities that have been misunderstood. The taste of Coffea Liberica, for example, differs significantly from the coffee known in Europe. With about 20 percent more sugar than Coffea Arabica, this coffee is one of the sweetest.

This variety grows in lower altitudes and thrives in tropical conditions with temperatures up to 37 degrees Celsius which is a very advantageous trait.  

The Future Requires Resilient Coffee Plants

At the same time, I realized that coffee cultivation was under significant threat due to climate change. 

According to a Swiss study from ZHAW (Zürcher Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft), there are expected to be significant shifts and losses in coffee growing regions due to climatic changes by 2050. Especially in this context, Coffea Liberica offers enormous potential as the plant is more heat-resistant than any other coffee varieties.

I began to see a path for this misunderstood coffee variety to find its place in the world of coffee.

A New Challenge: Coffea Liberica 

Together with researchers from Taylor University of Kuala Lumpur and my business partner Zackry, I embarked on a journey. 

Our goal is to develop a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the production of Specialty Coffea Liberica and optimize the quality of coffee. Only in this way can we succeed in re-establishing Coffea Liberica on the coffee market on a large scale. 

Currently, Liberica is one of the more expensive coffees, but I am confident that the price will decrease once we have achieved the optimization of cultivation and processing processes.

The Role of the Importer, Coffea Liberica in Europe

Due to our growing recognition in the world of Coffea Liberica farmers in Malaysia, we were increasingly asked if we could represent Malaysian Coffea Liberica producers in Europe. 

For small farmers in Malaysia, it is nearly impossible to export and sell their products in Europe on their own. Despite many risks, we decided to take on this role.

Since 2022, I have been the main importer of Malaysian Coffea Liberica in Europe with my company „Kebun Malaya Switzerland“. 

The first shipment of 600 kilograms of green beans was a great success and quickly sold out.

A Lucky Coincidence

In 2022, Coffea Liberica received unexpected publicity when Hugh Kelly from Ona Coffee in Australia placed in the Barista World Championship in Milan with Liberica from Malaysia. 

This caused a stir in the coffee world and brought this forgotten bean back into the spotlight.

Current Status and the Future

Currently, Zack and I are working on showing the Department of Agriculture (DOA) in Malaysia alternatives to palm oil cultivation. 

Growing Coffea Liberica can help many farmers transition to sustainable and long-term agriculture. The journey that brought me and Coffea Liberica together is adventurous and challenging. I am only at the beginning of this journey and look forward to sharing more with you. 

Right now, we are working on the next shipment to Europe, which is expected to arrive by ship late this autumn. Until then, you can find me at the coffee fair in Frankfurt and the Swiss Coffee Festival with new samples to taste.

This is just the Beginning

Coffea Liberica has changed my life and me.

I am proud to contribute to inclusion and the future of coffee cultivation. And even though the journey has just begun, I look forward to keeping You updated and taking you along with me.

And I am excited to see where this journey will lead us.