🅢 = Story: Our Origin Story

In the U.S., Robusta is often used as shorthand for “Vietnamese coffee”. That makes sense when you look at Vietnam’s powerful influence on how many people were introduced to the bean. However, Robusta has never belonged to just one country.

Fat Miilk started as a Vietnamese coffee company because I’m Vietnamese and Robusta is the coffee I grew up with. That’s our origin story, and Vietnam’s role in shaping global Robusta deserves recognition. At the same time, Robusta is grown across East Africa, India, Indonesia, and Brazil, each region producing coffees with their own character and applications.

Our intention has never been to separate Robusta from Vietnam, but to expand the narrative beyond it. What comes next is about building a broader, more accurate understanding of Robusta’s role in modern coffee. That’s the work I’m most excited about - stay tuned!

— Lan Ho, Founder of Fat Miilk

🅘 = Insight: Robusta As We Know It

At Fat Miilk, we roast to order, which gives us an intimate understanding of the beans and the process. With 10+ years in the specialty coffee industry, working in quality control, sourcing, sample roasting, and now production, I’ve never been more excited to share what we’re discovering with Robusta.— Kim Nguyen, Head of Coffee Quality and Sourcing

The Other Species

When coffee professionals (myself included) talk about Robusta, we can’t help but bring up Arabica as a point of comparison. Robusta as a species in my coffee career has always been brought up as the “other” species. The one that Arabica is not, and the one that most people don’t pay as much attention to when talking about quality coffee. In the early 2000’s, when the third wave coffee movement was at its highest peak, Robusta was not part of the conversation. Arabica has always been the focal point in terms of desirable flavors and coffee quality. But things have begun to change as there are more voices in the industry gaining recognition.

The Movement

As climate change continues to negatively impact harvest seasons across the globe in major coffee producing countries, Robusta has made its way on more cupping tables. Major companies like Blue Bottle have incorporated Robusta into their Arabica blends. More Vietnamese coffee shops have opened up across the U.S. and have been successful in changing the narrative. Robusta is grown in about twenty countries worldwide, and Vietnam has been producing about 40% of the globally exported supply. 

The Market Demand

As third wave continues to be the dominant coffee culture in most countries, there seems to be some flexibility in what coffee buyers and drinkers alike are willing to consume. Robusta is more soluble as well as adaptable to blending, so the demand from coffee professionals and drinkers are on the rise. People who just want a no nonsense cup of coffee prefer the low acid and stable sweetness of Robusta and coffee roasters are starting to see the benefits of cost in putting it in blends. As this demand grows and Robusta becomes more appreciated for being what it is (and not just a counterpoint to Arabica) there is no telling what the potential for the species can be.

🅟 = Pulse: Robusta Beyond Borders

Robusta accounts for roughly 40% of global coffee production, with Vietnam leading at approximately 35–40% of total Robusta output. Beyond Vietnam, significant production comes from Brazil (~20%), Indonesia (~7–8%), India (~6%), and Uganda (~5%), with additional volumes spread across East Africa and Southeast Asia.

As climate pressure and cost volatility challenge Arabica supply, the industry is increasingly revisiting Robusta for its higher yields, resilience, and versatility. With improvements in processing and sourcing, Robusta is shifting from a region-specific association to a globally relevant species.

For us, this moment is less about redefining Robusta, but rather expanding access and building a more accurate global narrative around where it’s headed!