ASEAN coffee origins have come to the fore since the ASEAN Coffee Federation (ACF) started almost seven years ago. After initial organizational meetings in Singapore and Laos, the annual coffee events Café Asia and THAIFEX have served as ACF’s launching pad for introducing exotic coffee origins of the ASEAN region.

Cupping the coffees in the region

“Training the Trainer” courses also helped educate more baristas and coffee producers in all the member countries. And from two years ago, cupping sessions for various ASEAN origins have been held at both shows, encouraging better coffee, especially from small farms or producers.

Training the Trainers led by Justin Metcalf

This year ACF will be holding a coffee auction at the Café Asia event in March at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Specialty coffees will be sold in limited quantities at premium prices to encourage ASEAN farmers to keep improving their produce.

Symposia and other conference-type events are planned to be held continuously to educate more coffee practitioners. Education about coffees from the region (touted to be the next frontier of coffee) is the main mission of ACF.

ACF is a registered non-profit organization domiciled in Singapore, where its President Victor Mah heads the Singapore Coffee Association (SCA). It is supported by its members which are the primary industry (coffee) organizations in the ten ASEAN member states.

“We must promote ASEAN coffees which are on a par with and sometimes even better than those from faraway places,” says one ACF director.