rRebel Talk – Rasmus Madsen from POMA Coffee

We recently had the pleasure of hosting an Open House in our Danish offices in Copenhagen along with the coffee pioneers of POMA Coffee. A project that pushes the boundaries of the coffee industry today with modern knowledge and science adopted from the fruit industry.

In our last blog post we talked about project in its basic form – today, we sit down with Rasmus Madsen himself and get into the weeds about the project that is POMA Coffee.

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What was the inspiration behind the project? As an agronomist and researcher, there must have been thousands of other exciting passion projects - so why coffee?

We were founded with the inspiration to do something that would make a difference for the coffee

industry—to help as many people as possible and to inspire meaningful change.

As experienced advisors and researchers in other perennial fruit crops, such as apple and pear, we quickly realized that coffee as an agricultural crop was extremely underdeveloped in terms of research and development compared to other fruit cultures. For this reason, we set out to translate the knowledge gained from decades of fruit growing research onto coffee, and to see it for what it truly is—a crop where productivity and quality exist on a spectrum, and where each production system has its own unique needs.

We are deeply committed to bridge the gap between research and practical application. Our work is rooted in real-life problems faced by producers, ensuring that research is not only rigorous but also relevant and actionable. By focusing on practical research that can be applied directly in the field, we want to empower growers with solutions that improve their long-term sustainability.

So, to put it in other words, we aspire to bring coffee research to the same level of maturity and innovation as other fruit crops, while always keeping the needs of producers and the realities of farming at the heart of its mission.

In the same spirit as the previous question, what inspired your partner at Volcán Azul, Alejo, to participate as a "guinea pig" for POMA Coffee's research?

Our relationship with Alejo from Volcán Azul is one of both friendship and inspiration. Over the years, he has become a close partner in shaping the direction of our research. Much of what we do is inspired by the work on his farm, where he is constantly experimenting with new production systems, varieties, and agricultural techniques.

These ongoing experiments have led to a continuous dialogue between us. An open and honest exchange about what needs to be done to move coffee production forward. Where should research focus next? What challenges are most pressing for you as a producer? Which innovations are worth pursuing?

Through these conversations with farmers, we are able to define practical research that matters— projects that can take place both on his farm and at our research station. This collaboration allows us to bridge exactly that gap between research and practical application, ensuring that the knowledge generated is both scientifically sound and rooted in the realities of farming.

Cold Wash processing is an incredibly fascinating concept - how did you come up with this

method? It's quite radical to completely move away from fermentation as a concept - how did you come to the conclusion that it was an interesting avenue to explore?

The idea behind Cold Washed Processing is actually quite simple. In order to taste the sensory differences between various agricultural practices, we needed a processing method that would minimize external factors influencing quality. By drying coffee under cold conditions, and keeping the temperature low enough, fermentation is effectively brought to a halt. Yeasts and bacteria require warmth to drive fermentation. The same applies to germination. Both processes, germination and fermentation, can significantly affect sensory quality.

By drying coffee under cool conditions, we eliminate the influence of fermentation and germination, allowing the subtle differences and nuances created by agricultural practices to come through more clearly in the cup. However, this method also carries some risk. Cold drying increases the risk of mold development in the coffee. To prevent this, conditions must be kept very dry, which is why we typically carry out the process in a climate-controlled chamber that ensures safe drying without unwanted microbial growth.

We could talk for hours about all the other exciting projects such as Foliar Nutrition, pollination, and shading, but how has the audience's response been? And is there something you hope the audience will take away from this entire project?

It hasn’t been easy. We are communicating a topic that few people in the specialty coffee industry have real experience with. Many may have visited coffee farms, but that is very different from truly understanding agricultural systems and their dynamics.

In the beginning, our hope was simply that people would gain a deeper respect for the hard work required to grow coffee. And for the constant challenge of balancing productivity with quality. And to be on top of pruning, fertilization, harvesting etc. Today, we like to think that this message comes through when people buy our coffee, read our journals, or visit our Research Station. Growing coffee is a science!

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Thank you, Rasmus, for your time and your well of knowledge. It has been a true pleasure hosting POMA Coffee at our Open House and learning so much more about the methods and science behind cultivating coffee for the future.

Want to learn more about POMA Coffee, their projects, and coffees? Check out the POMA journal and webshop.

rRebels