Factors that determine the quality of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) in southern Ecuador: A case study.

Abstract

This article is derived from a master's thesis in 2019 on the influence of temperature and relative humidity of the environment on coffee quality. The study was conducted in Palanda and Vilcabamba, Ecuador, two locations with different climate and, therefore, storage conditions, in the Agroartesanal Association of Ecological Producers of Palanda and Chinchipe "APECAP", a first degree organization, formed by small producers who export high quality coffee to the American and European markets. In this work we determine the influence of the temperature and relative humidity of storage in two places with different environmental conditions on the humidity of the bean and the organoleptic quality of its infusion, determined by blind cupping. The methodology applied for this research was to identify the study area as a first step, followed by the sampling of a microplot of a five-year-old plantation. A physical and organoleptic evaluation was then carried out and the coffee density was checked by means of the cupping laboratory, and Pearson's linear correlation was applied to compare the results. The results of the study indicate that bean moisture is determined by the ambient relative humidity (RH) and mainly affects the flavor, acidity and body of the brew. The climatic conditions of both locations were studied and the quality parameters of coffee from storage were evaluated, establishing that in Vilcabamba, with a lower ambient RH, the coffee bean can be stored for up to 4 months without loss of quality, while in Palanda, with a higher RH, it can be stored for only 1 month.