A unique Coffee Dasara blending festive spirit with agricultural pride will be held on Sept. 24 (Wednesday) at Gandhi Maidan in Madikeri, celebrating Kodagu’s deep-rooted coffee culture.
The event will honour coffee growers and provide valuable insights into cultivation techniques, announced H.T. Anil, Convener of Coffee Dasara.
Launched last year under the vision of Madikeri MLA Dr. Mantar Gowda, Coffee Dasara returns this year following an overwhelming response. The second edition is being organised in collaboration with the Coorg Planters’ Association.
The programme will begin at 10 am at the Sakamma Memorial Hall, named after Kodagu’s trailblazing coffee entrepreneur, the late Sakamma — Karnataka’s first woman coffee entrepreneur. Coffee stalls will be opened in her memory, celebrating her legacy.
A lecture series from 10.30 am to 1 pm will offer practical knowledge and expert guidance to coffee cultivators. At 1 pm, ten distinguished coffee growers from Kodagu will be felicitated for their exceptional contributions to the coffee industry.
Coffee on the menu
Adding a delicious twist to the festivities, culinary competitions will showcase coffee’s versatility in cooking and baking. Categories include coffee-flavoured cakes, cupcakes, brownies, biscuits, puddings, beverages, and chocolates — all celebrating coffee as both a drink and a delicacy.
This year’s Coffee Dasara will feature 35 stalls highlighting coffee-related products, information and innovations. Speciality brews will be served by local cafés, while major exhibits will be set up by the Indian Coffee Board, Horticulture Department, Industries Department, HOPCOMS, Nandini Dairy and the Kodagu Coffee Growers’ Cooperative Society, among others.
Coffee Dasara continues to honour Kodagu’s rich coffee heritage by blending tradition, innovation and community pride. This vibrant event not only celebrates the region’s global reputation for coffee cultivation but also strengthens the bond between growers, producers and coffee lovers.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home / September 22nd, 2025
A weekend getaway at the Blyton Bungalow in the Poomaale Estate in Coorg is all you need to recharge yourself from the urban noise.
The six-hour journey from Bengaluru to the Poomaale Estate feels like a slow untwining of the city’s grip. By the time the car climbs the hills of Kodagu district—better known as Coorg—the traffic thins, the air cools, and the dense green folds of the Western Ghats begin to swallow the winding road.
The final stretch feels enchanted: rain-slicked roads winding past tangled forests, a lone elephant crossing the road, and finally, the quiet approach into a 128-acre coffee estate that seems to have been built for retreat.
Nestled in the dense forests of the estate is the Blyton Bungalow. One can’t call Blyton a resort in the conventional sense; it encompasses the essence of Coorg’s diverse ecology and raw beauty.
The large, but homely, guesthouse is decorated with modest Mangaluru tiles, wide verandas, and wooden chairs, which build a perfect ambience for long hours of coffee and conversation, interspersed by the chirps of birds and a gushing waterfall.
We were welcomed with steaming cups of the estate’s brew, as Aranya Bagchi, the hospitality manager and resident naturalist, laid down some ground rules for our safe stay at Blyton, which is right in the middle of a dense rainforest.
No wandering outside alone after dark, as it may get dangerous.
Once the night falls, until early morning, the estate and its adjacent jungle become roaming grounds for wildlife movement, especially elephants.
And then, there’s the coffee.
Coffee at the source
Coffee is always better at its origin, and at Poomaale, it was earthy and robust, harvested, dried, and roasted just a few hundred meters away from Blyton. By the end of the stay, we lost count of the many cups we had consumed!
We just didn’t sip coffee, as part of the experience, we indulged in an hour-long session on various brewing methods. It wasn’t just a tutorial, but almost a ritual—one kindred to the Japanese tea ritual.
The nuances of grind size, the temperature of the water, and the patience of the pour. Coffee, in Bagchi’s telling, became more than a drink. It was a dialogue between soil, climate, and craftsmanship.
Walking the land
Poomaale Estate’s beauty best unfolds on foot. Sharan V, a budding researcher and a naturalist, guided us on a trek to a nearby hillside. On this hour-long trek, we crossed many coffee shrubs—most of them loaded with gestating green berries, while a few others were decorated with white flowers, rendering a sweet, almost jasmine-like scent.
Did you know? The gestation period of coffee is similar to that of humans; it takes nine months for coffee to mature from flower to bean.
Here, the trail was alive with fungi following the monsoon rains, as well as many fruit trees, specifically litchi, rambutan, and mandarins.
A small stream kept us company for much of the trail, and so did the patter of rain on leaves. By the time we emerged onto a grassland clearing, the hills of Coorg stretched before us, wrapped in mist. It wasn’t an arduous trek, but for sedentary city dwellers, the incline was steep enough to bring back to life muscles long forgotten.
As we reached our destination, we stopped to check out a purple-hued, bell-shaped bloom called the Kurunji—not to be confused with the famed Neelakurinji of the Nilgiris, but equally rare, flowering once every four years.
To stumble upon it in bloom—surrounded by the dense green hills, partially covered in clouds—felt like being let in on a secret.
That night, rain lashed the windows, but our hosts were well prepared with hot water bottles, which were tucked into our bed for cosy comfort. The rooms were big, simple, but intimate. The laterite stone walls, iron-clad windows, rustic wooden doors, and high-rise ceilings reminded one of a village homestay, metamorphosed for a premium experience and comfort.
Encounters with the wild
Blyton offers a much-needed escape from the city’s ambient noise. The next morning, we were woken up from our deep slumber by an alarm bell, but not in the way one expects. The sound was the courtesy of the Malabar Whistling Thrush, also known as the Whistling Schoolboy; the bird is a daily visitor at Blyton Bungalow.
A morning walk, following a scrumptious breakfast, led us to several birdwatching points, where binoculars revealed flashes of scarlet and cobalt in the canopy. Sharan was quite excited to show us a tiger beetle, named after its distinct tiger-like patterns, indigenous to Coorg.
And then there was the waterfall. Swollen with the season’s rain, it roared with an energy that pulled you in. Standing beneath it, drenched and exhilarated, felt less like sightseeing and more like baptism—a cleansing of city fatigue.
PS: If you are in a rainforest, be prepared to encounter leeches and snails, among many other critters.
Food from the land
Meals at Blyton Bungalow were as much a reflection of the land as the treks. Every dish was sourced either from the Poomaale Estate itself or from one of its sister properties or “collectives” in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, operated by their parent entity, Beforest.
Founded in 2018, Beforest is one of the first firms in India to carry out permaculture activities on a scale of 100+ acres in each of its collectives to reimagine a forest-friendly lifestyle.
Food at Blyton was homely, prepared by a local resident cook, Ishtak, who spun the forest produce into delicious meals. One evening, we were served a delicate dish made of young ferns, sautéed simply with local spices, their freshness speaking louder than seasoning. Try the wild mango curry—a sweet and tangy curry made with small mangoes from the estate’s orchards. We were also served the local rice, which had a distinct purple colour and was sweet to taste.
In fact, the estate has a cow shed that provides milk products for Blyton’s guests as well as manure for the plants. Behind the cow shed grows cardamom and pepper in the wild—the two spices that are cultivated at Poomaale besides coffee.
There was something grounding in knowing that every bite had a direct lineage to the soil underfoot. Nothing felt imported, nothing staged. It was food in conversation with the place.
A pause from the world
Blyton Bungalow is not about curated experiences or glossy perfection. Its magic lies in the authenticity of being away. The air carries petrichor and coffee blossom, the walls echo with bird calls, and the evenings settle into long stretches of rain and firefly glow.
Time slows here—not in the sense of boredom, but in the way that every moment feels fuller, layered with the textures of land, weather, and companionship.
When it was time to leave, the six-hour drive back to Bengaluru felt heavier, the city waiting with its demands and deadlines. But somewhere in the mind, the sound of the stream lingered, and so did the warmth of a hot water bottle pressed tucked in the sheets, and the image of a lone elephant, chalk-painted and solemn.
Blyton Bungalow isn’t just a getaway. It’s a reminder that retreating into nature is less about escape and more about return—a return to the quiet, the simplicity, a way of being that listens as much as it speaks.
Prices for two nights (inclusive of taxes):
Regular room: Rs 20,000
Suites: Rs 32,000
source: http://www.yourstory.com / Your Story / Home> YS Life> Travel & Leisure / by Suman Singh / edited by Kanishk Singh / September 20th, 2025
From hand-picking cherries to experimenting with processing methods, Kodagu’s coffee growers are embracing change, writes Dhanyata M Poovaiah.
Once a paddy-growing area, Kodagu took to large-scale coffee cultivation during the British era. Today, it is India’s largest coffee-producing district.
Every district in the state has a speciality and when it comes to Kodagu, it is coffee. While Karnataka accounts for around 71% of India’s total coffee production, Kodagu alone contributes around half of the state’s total output, or roughly 37% of the country’s total coffee yield.
Originally, paddy was the region’s main crop. During the 19th century, the British started large-scale coffee plantations, considering the region’s suitable climatic and soil conditions for the crop. Today, Kodagu is India’s largest coffee-producing district.
Robusta and Arabica are the two main varieties of coffee grown in Kodagu. Initially, Arabica was the most widely grown variant of coffee. “Situated within a multi-storeyed coffee agroforestry system, Kodagu nurtures the GI-tagged Coorg Arabica Coffee, celebrated for its pleasant aroma, balanced flavour, mild acidity, strong body, and subtle floral notes,” says Pradeepa Babu, Deputy Director (Research), at the Coffee Board of India.
However, over time, planters gradually switched over to the heat- and pest-resistant Robusta. “Indian Robusta gets the highest premium in the international market, preferred for its good blending quality,” Pradeepa adds. This variety has a longer lifespan and is easier to maintain. Today, 80% of the coffee produced here is Robusta.
The Robusta plants are taller and have bigger leaves and rounder beans, and provide better yield. The beans also offer a stronger and bitter taste profile. Arabica, on the other hand, has elongated beans and is suitable in higher altitudes and colder climates.
Commercially available coffees are often a blend of Robusta and Arabica. The South Indian filter coffee contains a touch of chicory as well.
“Kodagu’s coffee has good markets in Europe, West Asia, USA and Australia, with Italy being the top importer,” says Vishwanath Keshavamurthy, CEO of Biota Coorg Farmer Producer Company Limited.
While Robusta and Arabica dominate the coffee scene here, two more varieties are gaining ground in the district. Liberica, a larger plant, is grown in smaller quantities, and Excelsa (locally known as Mara Kaapi) is also being introduced.
Shade-grown plantation
A unique feature of Kodagu coffee is the shade-grown method. “In Kodagu, coffee is grown in shade, wherein coffee plants are surrounded by taller trees and lush vegetation. The slow maturation process of coffee cherries here results in more mucilage, enhancing their flavour and the aroma,” says Naren Kuttaiah, director of Biota Coorg Farmer Producer Company Limited and the proprietor of Kallucoppa estate. Mucilage is a sticky, sugary, and pectin-rich layer found in the coffee cherry between the outer skin and the parchment layer.
“In other major coffee-growing countries such as Brazil and Vietnam, the crop is mainly grown in open plantations,” he adds.
Additionally, the coffee cycle in Kodagu begins with blossom showers in February and mid-March. The right amount of rainfall and sunshine is crucial for the healthy blossoming of coffee flowers and the subsequent development of the beans. If rainfall is insufficient, irrigation is carried out after 20 to 22 days. This is followed by fertiliser application (pre, mid, post monsoon application), pruning, shade lopping, weeding, desuckering and disease control.
Post-harvest cycle
Most commonly, the coffee cherries are hand-picked and dried directly in the sun for nine to ten days. However, in the honey method of drying, ripened red cherries are picked, depulped and then dried to accentuate the flavour. In the washed process, the beans are fermented, washed and then dried. Nutty, fruity, floral, citrusy flavours can be achieved depending on the process of fermentation.
“To pick only the ripened cherries, we go through six cycles of picking. This ensures a uniform taste compared to when a mix of green and red cherries is processed. Right processing can even control the acidity, bitterness and flavour of the coffee,” says Rishwin Devaya, of the Riverside Estate in Kodagu. He grows a mix of Robusta and Arabica varieties and has also recently been experimenting with intercropping Robusta and Arabica.
Single-origin coffee
Today, there is a growing demand for single-origin coffee, where the beans come from one specific source, such as a single farm or region.
“This is because the local climate, soil, surrounding vegetation, foliage, and even the fertiliser or manure used, all bear an impact on the flavour profile of the coffee bean. The post-harvest process is carried out in a controlled manner to achieve desired characteristics,” says Sandalkad Estate’s Shamveel Nizam, who runs a specialty café in Kodagu.
Specialty coffee should score over 80 out of 100 on 10 parameters, such as aroma, flavour, acidity, aftertaste, body, balance and uniformity. This is tested by the Coffee Board of India and is increasingly sought after.
“The higher the score, the higher the price. Our specialty coffee is sold at Rs 25,000 per kg in West Asia. We also offer customisation, as per the client’s preference,” says Shamveel.
A coffee plant blossomed with flowers
Cupping is another standardised method to evaluate coffee. Under this, professional cuppers smell and taste coffee to assess its body (mouthfeel), sweetness, acidity and flavour notes. The practice is used by roasters and importers to assess new coffee beans.
New trends
In recent years, young planters have been driving innovation. “Traditionally, coffee planters only sold dried cherries. To maximise returns, we should handle the post-harvest processes as much as possible,” says Rishwin, who does end-to-end processing. Coffee workshops, seminars and courses are crucial to take the game to the next level, he adds.
The Coffee Board is also supporting coffee production through involvement in replantation, water management, quality improvements in drying yards and warehouses. Organic/eco-certification is encouraged for estates producing organic coffee, helping them achieve higher returns. In addition, an Integrated Coffee Development Project is being implemented to support the overall growth of the coffee industry.
Coffee cherries.
“Specialty coffees with local narratives, wellness-oriented blends, consumer engagement, convenience coffee formats such as drip coffee pouches, home-brewing tools and marketing through e-commerce platforms are the new trends in coffee marketing,” says Pradeepa.
From misty plantations to global cafés, Kodagu’s coffee legacy continues to brew magic.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> India> Karnataka / by Dhanyata M Poovaiah / September 11th, 2025
The species identified are — Coffea stenophylla, Coffea racemosa, Coffea liberica and Coffea excelsa.
Representative Image
Bengaluru :
As climate change is affecting harvesting and cropping patterns of all agriculture produce, coffee growers too are facing challenges. To address the issue, researchers are working on climate-resilient coffee varieties.
The Centre for Excellence of Central Research Institute (CCRI) located in the Coffee Research Sun Station, Chettalli in Kodagu has identified four wild coffee varieties that are particularly resilient to climate change.
Cup tasters discovered that Coffea stenophylla tastes close to Coffea arabica. This has raised hopes that consumers may soon have a new climate resilient option to choose from.
New coffee varities will have to be blended
“There is resistance in these wild varieties as they have stood the natural test of time. They have strength in their roots, have high yields and can withstand high temperatures. The four varieties are different from the existing and popular Arabica and Robusta coffees. During research, these varieties were found growing naturally in the wild and even in the estates of some coffee growers,” said Jeena Devasia, Divisional Head, Plant Breeding and Genetics, CCRI, Chettahalli substation, told The New Indian Express.
During the study, researchers found historical evidence to show that Robusta is equal to Coffea stenophylla in taste and texture. “If all goes well, consumers will soon get a new climate-resilient coffee variety to choose from,” she said.
Researchers said wild varieties are found all over India. Some are also found in the Himalayan zone, growing naturally as trees. “The region under coffee cultivation is gradually increasing in India,” added Jeena.
Some companies are exporting some of the wild coffee varieties that are growing in their estates. Komal Sable, South India Coffee Company Partner, said they are exporting around 5.5 tonnes of green Coffea excelsa to the US, UK, Netherlands, Switzerland and other places. While some countries are consuming it as single origin and others are blending it, he added.
Explaining the advantages and disadvantages, coffee tasters and traders said it could be difficult for consumers to immediately accept the new variety as they have a set taste suiting their platter. The new varieties are climate resilient and need less pesticides. They are less acidic in nature and are more sweet. Some even have a fruity flavour and are less bitter.
Coffee Board officials said that when these varieties are launched in the domestic market, they will have to be blended to meet the consumers’ demand.
Experts said there are around 120 globally identified and accepted coffee varieties. The list continues to have additions and deletions depending upon research and quality reports. Tests and tasting is an ongoing process and is the need of the hour, they added.
Karnataka produces
72,020 metric tonnes of Arabica coffee
1,76,000 metric tonnes of Robusta coffee
Total area under coffee production — 2,48,020 acres (70.5% of coffee-growing areas in the country)
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Bosky Khanna / September 25th, 2024
Using this app, people can update the last location where they spotted a wild elephant, and through an AI-based system, the movement of the elephant will be traced.
The siren system is being installed across 12 conflict zones in Virajpet limits. (Photo | Express)
Madikeri :
A new initiative to prevent untoward incidents related to wildlife movement is being undertaken on a trial basis in Kodagu. Funded by a private company, the early warning system has been installed by Support for Network and Extension Help Agency (SNEHA), an NGO.
An early warning system in the form of a siren to alert residents about wildlife movement within a one-kilometre radius has been installed by SNEHA on a trial basis in wildlife conflict regions across Virajpet in Kodagu.
The NGO is currently in the process of installing 12 such sirens across the conflict zones of Badaga Banangala and surrounding areas. While the initiative is currently at a trial stage, SNEHA plans to expand it further by introducing automated alert systems.
“This initiative is being carried out by SNEHA in Odisha and Kodagu regions. We are looking at developing the system further to ensure an automated alert system,” explained Ramaswamy Krishnan, the Executive Director of SNEHA.
He said the NGO has developed a mobile application called SNEHA Kalpvaig Elephant Tracker, which is being uploaded online to become accessible to all.
Using this app, people can update the last location where they spotted a wild elephant, and through an AI-based system, the movement of the elephant will be traced.
Further, based on the location of the elephant, a siren will be triggered to alert residents within a one-kilometre radius.
“The users who have this application can learn about the movement of the elephant, and this application is linked with the siren system. We have also placed about four camera traps in conflict zones, and these cameras are being monitored by the staff at the office to activate the siren manually,” he explained.
The cameras click pictures every minute, and these photographs are reviewed by the appointed staff, who can activate the siren if an elephant is detected within the designated area.
“We want to make this an automated system, and we are devising plans where the cameras can automatically detect wildlife movement,” he confirmed. When the sirens are activated, a voice alert message is also sent through the mobile application simultaneously.
The alert system is currently being implemented in Kodagu on a trial basis, with the NGO having formed a tracking team to monitor wildlife movements.
A total of 12 sirens have been installed across conflict zones in the Virajpet limits. The initiative is being funded by Sucden Coffee Pvt Ltd and is being implemented in collaboration with the Forest Department.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Prajna GR / May 30th, 2025
Arshiya Bose, the founder of this Bengaluru-based “activist company”, traces its genesis, journey and what this award could mean for the smallholder coffee farmers in the country.
Coffee being dried in a remote hamlet | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Arshiya Bose feels that a conversation she had in Coorg, back in 2011, when she was pursuing her PhD at Cambridge, was a “pivotal moment” in her journey towards creating Black Baza Coffee. During her fieldwork to understand the impact of global sustainability certifications on farmers, she met the mother of a local grower from India’s coffee cup. “She asked me if I was going to do anything useful after my PhD,” recalls Arshiya, who soon recognised that while it was wonderful to be so deeply immersed in an academic project, “it can be selfish if that was where it stayed.”
This comment made her realise that much could be done to make coffee cultivation more sustainable — something that is increasingly becoming an important aspect of the industry’s long-term viability, considering both the environmental impact of conventional coffee farming and the fact that the bean is particularly vulnerable to climate change. In 2014, after completing her PhD, she returned to India, going on to start Black Baza two years later, naming the brand after a small, migratory raptor with “its own kind of cult following amongst birders, because it displays such interesting behaviours”.
The beginnings were small: 100 kilograms of coffee bought from four different farms. “Now, of course, that number has grown multifold, and we now work with around 650 farms (mainly in Palani, Wayanad and BR Hills),” says Arshiya of the Bengaluru-headquartered “activist company,” which has just won the Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) 2025 Sustainability Awards in the ‘For Profit’ category. This annual award, by the world’s largest global coffee trade association, recognises “excellence in product innovation, design, and sustainability across the industry” with the winners (Fairtrade International won the ‘Nonprofit’ category) being formally recognised for their achievement at Speciality Coffee Expo in Houston in April.
A selection of Black Baza’s coffees | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Standards for sustainability
Admittedly, the word ’sustainable’ is a multifaceted, somewhat indefinable concept, with every organisation, brand, company, Government or country understanding the much-used term differently. “Therefore, we had to almost set our own standards for how we wanted to do things,” says Arshiya.
Black Baza only works with smallholder farmers who have already been growing organic coffee and are committed to maintaining and improving the native forest cover on their farms. “The average landholding on where we work is half-to-one-acre parcels of land in very remote parts of the country, with many belonging to tribal communities… people who’ve been historically marginalised and are vulnerable,” says Arshiya, who has a background in community-led conservation. She adds that Black Baza also helps farmers with the post-harvest process, working very closely on building capacity to produce better quality, speciality coffee, both arabica and robusta.
A coffee training programme being conducted | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
According to her, considerable care was taken to bring in a system of fair, transparent pricing, placing a premium on the coffee’s quality and the farming practices followed, including the attention paid to preserving the local biodiversity. Making coffee farms friendly to local flora and fauna, she says, is an especially crucial mandate of Black Baza since most coffee-growing areas are in places that are also rich in biodiversity. “That is true across South and Central America, parts of Kenya, Uganda, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and the Indian Western Ghats too,” she says.
Keeping with this focus on biodiversity, the names of all of Black Baza’s coffees, which are sold in compostable and degradable packaging, are inspired by various indicator species: organisms whose presence or absence offer insights into overall ecosystem health. Think potter wasps, lion-tailed macaques, otters, Indian moon moths, or the Malabar whistling thrush, “species symbolic of the kind of farming practices we like,” she says.
One of Black Baza’s partners with her produce | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The coffee conundrum
The popular belief is that coffee came to India in the 17th Century surreptitiously, smuggled from Yemen by the Sufi saint Baba Budan. “It is a sweet story, but that is not really how coffee became a full-fledged plantation industry. It was a colonial project,” says Arshiya, who, as part of her PhD work, spent a lot of her time in the British Library looking at archives to understand how coffee spread in India. “We know that it was the British East India Company that set up an experimental plot in Thalassery, Kerala, and expanded coffee across India from there.”
This expansion, however, came at a considerable ecological cost, with the British clearing vast hills to grow this coffee, later replanting the land with exotic species like silver oak, once they realised that coffee grew better in shade. “And when they left, they handed over their plantations to their favourite people. And that is where this land inequality came about,” she says. While coffee continues to be grown in large plantations, many coffee farmers cultivate coffee on very small tracts of land, making them especially vulnerable to the vagaries of Nature, including climate change, since coffee is especially susceptible to rising temperatures and rainfall pattern fluctuations. “Smallholder farmers are always more vulnerable in the face of any kind of natural disaster, and that is true of coffee as well,” she says.
Arshiya Bose | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Working with more farmers, therefore, is high on the list of Black Baza’s priorities, and Arshiya hopes that the recent SCA recognition can help them achieve this goal. “One of the ways we think of doing this is to develop a green coffee programme, and I think something like SCA enables us to now try to look for partners overseas,” she says, adding that getting into coffee exports would allow them to work with even more farmers. “We have also started expanding beyond coffee into other products that our farmers grow, including cardamom and pepper, and hope to open a couple of cafés soon, as well.”
For many of us, coffee is the fuel behind our mornings, meetings, or late-night study sessions. But behind every cup is a harsh reality: coffee farming is often unsustainable. It’s estimated that, for every cup we sip, about one square inch of rainforest is destroyed .
So, what’s a coffee lover to do?
The good news is there are coffee brands out there that are pioneering sustainability — Canadian brands like Forest Bean .
Forest Bean offers true forest-grown coffee, cultivated at high elevations and nurtured by biodiversity. Crafted purposefully, it’s perfect for coffee fans, roasters, and cafes seeking naturally grown, premium-quality beans. Ethically sourced from micro-lot farms in India, locally roasted Forest Bean inspires a deeper connection to nature and craft.
We spoke to Dr. Pete Poovanna , founder and executive director of Forest Bean Coffee, to find out what makes their beans stand out from the crowd.
Rooted in India, Roasted in Canada
Forest Bean
Forest Bean’s farms are located on the hilly forested heartland of the Indian Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The company was founded by Dr. Poovanna after he moved to Vancouver in 2013 for PhD in sustainable energy engineering, and was struck by Canada’s coffee culture and how our love for it was affecting the environment.
Born and raised in Coorg located in the heart of the Western Ghats himself, he was influenced by his parents’ land management as sixth-generation coffee farmers, and his community’s spiritually-rooted practices called “sacred grove farming.”
source: youtube.com
Determined to make a difference, he launched Forest Bean Inc. to bring sustainably grown Indian coffee to coffee connoisseurs around the world.
The farm
Forest Bean
At Forest Bean’s farms, coffee beans are grown naturally under two-tiered shade on micro-lots with the utmost emphasis on sustainability.
“Sacred grove farming utilizes traditional agroforestry methods, meaning our coffee plants thrive under natural forest shade alongside native flora and fauna,” Dr. Poovanna explains.
We believe protecting the farm by not felling trees or harming wildlife, the reigning deity will protect us in return, and the farmers will prosper. This approach enriches soil naturally, conserves water, and protects the rainforest ecosystem.”
Forest Bean
The farms produce some of the highest quality coffee while providing a natural habitat for a multitude of animals — birds, bugs, wild cats, apes, elephants, and more thrive alongside coffee plants.
Amid widespread greenwashing, Dr. Poovanna emphasizes that true sustainability in coffee production needs to address the entire lifecycle, farming practices included. He explains that only focusing on clean packaging or green transportation ignores the industry’s larger environmental impacts like deforestation and carbon loss during cultivation — something he says actually undermines genuine sustainability efforts.
Time-honoured traditions
Forest Bean
The Forest Bean coffee farmers, who belong to the ancient Kodava and Adivasi communities, employ traditional farming practices. Each bean is handpicked.
“Indian farming traditions are rooted in generations of Indigenous knowledge that prioritize sustainable coexistence with nature. By supporting and collaborating with Indigenous farmers, Forest Bean preserves these time-tested agricultural practices, ensuring cultural sustainability and economic empowerment.”
Forest Bean
The presence of Totem Figurines on our farms shows the deep cultural significance of the coffee forest and surrounding wilderness. Totem Figurines have been scattered throughout the farm for centuries.
Roasted locally in Vancouver
Forest Bean
Forest Bean coffee beans are roasted right here in Vancouver. Due to its unique growing methods, it offers distinct, vibrant flavours. Expect balanced acidity, smooth sweetness, nuanced notes of chocolate, nuts, berries, spices, and a uniquely rich, aromatic complexity.
“Our Bababudangiri single-origin Arabica, washed-process micro-lot, is very popular for its exceptional smoothness and balanced acidity; it’s called Medium Roast NARI , which means Tiger. Our Coorg micro-lot, Italian Espresso roast is also a favourite, known for its bright notes and rich complexity. It’s called MATANGA , meaning Elephant.”
Forest Bean
With every sip, you’re not just enjoying world-class coffee — you’re supporting a movement that values forests, farmers, and the future.
Head over to theforestbean.com to purchase it for yourself or make wholesale enquiries.
In the heartland of coffee cultivation, Kodagu, this year’s harvest tells a tale of mixed fortunes.
While coffee production has seen a significant dip due to erratic weather patterns, farmers are finding relief in skyrocketing prices that have touched record highs. However, rising labour and maintenance costs continue to be a concern, particularly for small-scale growers.
A season of contrasts
Kodagu’s major coffee-growing taluks — Madikeri, Virajpet and Ponnampet — are currently in the thick of the Robusta coffee harvest. However, due to inconsistent rainfall last year, coffee yields have plummeted by 30 percent to 50 percent in several plantations. Some lucky farmers have reported decent harvests, but for most, expectations have fallen short.
Yet, what the season lacks in quantity, it makes up for in price. A 50 kg bag of Robusta coffee (with husk) is now fetching between Rs. 12,000 and Rs. 13,000 — a historic high. In comparison, last year’s rates stood at around Rs. 9,000 per 50-kg bag.
The surge in prices is attributed to a global dip in coffee production, particularly in major coffee-producing nations like Brazil and Colombia. For farmers, this unexpected price hike is a much-needed ‘bumper gift’ after a challenging season.
Labour shortage adds to woes
Despite high prices, farmers are struggling to find enough labourers for harvesting. Kodagu traditionally relies on seasonal workers from Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Bihar, who arrive in December for the coffee-picking season.
This year, however, the declining yield and other factors have deterred many workers from making the journey, leaving farmers in distress.
Adding to the challenge, wages have surged. Two years ago, daily wages ranged between Rs. 400 and Rs. 450. This year, rates have shot up to Rs. 550 to Rs. 600 per day, further escalating the cost of cultivation.
To make matters worse, labourers now start work later than before. Earlier, they would begin harvesting by 8.30 am or 9 am and continue until 5 pm. Now, work starts at 10 am and wraps up by 3.30 pm, cutting valuable work hours.
This is mainly due to labourers being transported from distant locations. Apart from higher wages, estate owners must also bear the additional costs of labour contractors, driver fees and vehicle rentals, increasing the financial strain on growers.
First showers in February
In late February, Napoklu and Kaluru regions received their first rainfall of the year. While rain is usually welcomed in Kodagu’s coffee plantations, its timing is crucial.
The downpour has stalled the harvesting process, as ripened coffee cherries remain on plants alongside delicate new coffee blossoms for the next season.
For those who had already completed their harvest, the rain was a relief. But for those still working in the fields, it has become a frustrating setback.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / March 06th, 2025
The sharp rise on February 11 was attributed to severe crop losses in Brazil and Vietnam — world’s leading coffee producers — due to adverse weather conditions.
The sharp rise on February 11 was attributed to severe crop losses in Brazil and Vietnam — world’s leading coffee producers — due to adverse weather conditions. (Shutterstock)
Bengaluru:
Coffee prices in Karnataka’s Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru markets that recently surged to historic levels was driven by a global supply crunch, according to officials familiar with the matter. Arabica Parchment, a premium coffee variety, soared to ₹29,600 per 50 kg bag in Chikkamagaluru, while Kodagu recorded an even higher price of ₹29,800, marking an unprecedented peak.
The sharp rise on February 11 was attributed to severe crop losses in Brazil and Vietnam — world’s leading coffee producers — due to adverse weather conditions. Experts predicted that recovery will take at least five to eight years, as new coffee plants require time to mature and yield produce.
“Coffee prices are heavily influenced by weather conditions, and it’s impossible to assume that current prices will remain steady,” Coffee Board president Dinesh Devavrinda told HT. He advised growers, particularly those with outstanding bank loans, to capitalise on the price surge by opting for the One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme, which covers the principal amount up to ₹5 lakh.
India produces approximately 365,000 tonnes of coffee annually, with 70% of the yield exported to European markets. Karnataka is the country’s largest coffee producer, accounting for 70% of national output, with Kodagu alone contributing 32%. The state has 246,000 hectares of coffee estates, yielding 220,000 tonnes annually, while Kodagu, spanning 4,102 square kilometers, produces around 120,000 tonnes from 110,000 hectares of estates.
At the beginning of the year, coffee prices were volatile, but a steep upward trend emerged over the past 10 days, with daily price hikes ranging between ₹500 and ₹1,000 per bag. On January 1, Arabica Parchment was priced at ₹17,000 per 50 kg bag but by the end of the month, it rose to ₹23,500. Other coffee varieties also saw significant increases: Robusta Parchment reached ₹24,500, Arabica Cherry was sold at ₹17,000, and Robusta Cherry hit ₹13,500 in Kodagu markets.
According to market analysts, the absence of buffer stock this year has further aggravated the supply shortage, pushing prices to record highs.
Rajiv Kushalappa, managing director of Leonflix Fintech Ventures Pvt Ltd, a Bengaluru-based coffee export firm, pointed to the impact of global shortages. “Thousands of coffee estates have been destroyed in Brazil and Vietnam, leading to a severe supply crunch in the international market. With no buffer stock available this year, prices have skyrocketed and are likely to remain high for some time,” he said.
For coffee growers, the soaring prices offer much-needed financial relief. “This is the first time I am getting such record prices. Growers have long struggled with high production costs, disease outbreaks, and labour shortages. Arabica coffee estates require significant manpower, and labor costs have risen due to shortages. These higher prices will help growers maintain their estates,” Sannuvanda Kaverappa, a grower from Napoklu in Madikeri, said.
Kodagu, nestled in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, is India’s largest coffee-producing region, contributing nearly 32% of the country’s total output. The district, spanning 4,102 square kilometers, is home to vast coffee estates spread across 1.1 lakh hectares. Known for its rich biodiversity and hilly terrain, Kodagu primarily cultivates Arabica and Robusta coffee varieties. Coffee farming, introduced by British planters in the 19th century, remains the backbone of the local economy, with thousands of small and large growers dependent on it. The region’s coffee is highly sought after in international markets, with 70% of India’s coffee production being exported.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home / by Coovercolly Indresh / February 18th, 2025
Where coffee, wilderness, and conscious living converge.
Blyton Bungalow
The road to Blyton Bungalow, tucked deep within the Poomaale Estate, winds through mist-laced hills, whispering forests, and the occasional burst of wildflowers. I knew, even before I arrived, that this wouldn’t be just another weekend retreat—it was a step into an untouched world where nature isn’t manicured but gloriously untamed, where birdsong replaces city sirens, and where life slows to the rhythm of the earth.
Nestled within the Beforest Collective, a community dedicated to regenerative farming and wilderness conservation, Blyton Bungalow isn’t a conventional resort. It’s an extension of the jungle—an old-world retreat designed to blend into its surroundings rather than conquer them. The journey here is part of the experience. There are no grand gates or ostentatious driveways. Just a winding path that slips deeper into the forest, each turn feeling like an unravelling secret.
A Home in the Jungle
The bungalow itself is a poetic ode to Kodava architecture, with sloped red-tiled roofs, airy verandas, and sun-warmed wooden floors. Six elegant suites open out into a world that is defiantly wild. Coffee bushes and jackfruit trees stand shoulder to shoulder, and somewhere in the distance, a Malabar giant squirrel bounds from branch to branch. It feels more like staying in a colonial planter’s estate—minus the excess—than a boutique stay.
As I sipped my first cup of freshly brewed estate coffee, still heady with its morning roast, I realised how removed I was from the world I had left behind. There was no beeping phone, no honking cars—only the meditative hum of cicadas and the rustling leaves responding to a passing breeze.
Hiking into the Wild
No visit to Poomaale is complete without stepping into the Western Ghats’ emerald embrace. Setting out just after sunrise, I hiked through the dense forest, the air thick with petrichor and the earthy scent of wet foliage. The jungle here isn’t tamed for tourists—there are no neat pathways, only trails left behind by elephants and deer.
I waded through knee-high grass, climbed over ancient tree roots that had twisted themselves into natural staircases, and followed the echoing call of a hornbill in the distance. The deeper I went, the more the modern world disappeared. Butterflies, in impossible shades of electric blue and sunset orange, flitted past me. A family of macaques observed me from a moss-covered branch, their heads tilted in curiosity.
Then came the pièce de résistance – a hidden waterfall tumbling down mossy rocks in a silken rush. It wasn’t marked on any map, and no signboard pointed the way. It was just there, waiting to be found. Stripping down to my hiking shorts, I let the cool mountain water crash over me, washing away not just the sweat and dirt from the hike but the last remnants of stress I hadn’t realised I was still carrying.
The Art of Slow Farming
Back at the estate, I walked through the organic coffee and permaculture farm, where agriculture isn’t a battle against nature but a collaboration with it. Unlike industrial coffee estates that clear-cut land and douse crops in chemicals, Beforest’s farming philosophy leans on natural balance. Shade-grown coffee flourishes under a canopy of ancient trees, and intercropping with native plants ensures soil fertility and biodiversity.
I was explained how the estate works on principles of food forests. Instead of monoculture, they plant multiple species – vanilla, black pepper, fruit trees—all creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. It was agriculture the way it was meant to be: not an imposition, but a dialogue with nature.
I ran my hands through raw, sun-dried coffee beans, still warm from the afternoon sun. Later, I tasted the results—single-origin, small-batch coffee that carried notes of dark chocolate and citrus, a world apart from supermarket blends.
Nights Under a Billion Stars
The true magic of Blyton Bungalow revealed itself at night. With no city lights to dim the sky, the stars stretched endlessly, a celestial tapestry I hadn’t seen in years. Fireflies blinked in and out of the darkness, their glow mirroring the constellations above.
Sitting on the open veranda, sipping a locally brewed honey mead, I listened to the jungle’s nocturnal symphony. The deep hoot of an owl, the distant trumpet of an elephant, the occasional rustling of leaves that hinted at some unseen creature slipping through the undergrowth. It was raw, unscripted, and completely unfiltered.
Leaving, But Not Really
As I packed up to leave, I felt a deep reluctance. Blyton Bungalow wasn’t just a place to stay—it was a place to belong. A reminder of what life could be when stripped of its unnecessary layers. A glimpse into a world where humans and nature coexist, not in conflict but in quiet respect.
I left with more than just memories—I carried the stillness of the jungle, the scent of rain-drenched earth, and the knowledge that somewhere, beyond the chaos of the city, this wilderness continues to thrive. And that, maybe, one day, I’d return—not as a visitor, but as someone who never truly left.
source: http://www.businesstoday.in / Business Today / Home> News> Lifestyle> Travel / by Pranav Dixit / February 06th, 2025
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