Discovered more than a century ago in South Sudan, excelsa coffee is exciting cash-strapped locals and drawing interest from the international community amid a global coffee crisis caused mainly by climate change.

As leading coffee-producing countries struggle to grow crops in drier, less reliable weather, prices have soared to the highest in decades, and the industry is scrambling for solutions.

Experts say estimates from drought-stricken Brazil, the world’s top coffee grower, are that this year’s harvest could be down by some 12%.

“What history shows us is that sometimes the world doesn’t give you a choice, and right now there are many coffee farmers suffering from climate change that are facing this predicament,” said Aaron Davis, head of coffee research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London.

Disease-resistant species

Native to South Sudan and a handful of other African countries, including Congo, Central African Republic, and Uganda, excelsa is also farmed in India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

The tree's deep roots, thick leathery leaves, and big trunk allow it to thrive in extreme conditions such as drought and heat where other coffees cannot.

It’s also resistant to many common coffee pests and diseases.

Yet it comprises less than 1% of the global market, well behind the Arabica and Robusta species that are the most consumed coffees in the world.

Experts say excelsa will have to be shown to be practical at a much larger scale to bridge the gap in the market caused by climate change.

The excelsa trees can reach 15 meters (about 49 feet) in height but may also be pruned much shorter for ease of harvesting.

Coffee made from excelsa tastes sweet—unlike robusta—with notes of chocolate, dark fruits, and hazelnut. It’s more similar to arabica, but generally less bitter and may have less body.

Multi-million-dollar value

“There’s so little known about this coffee that we feel at the forefront to trying to unravel it, and we’re learning every day,” said Ian Paterson, managing director of Equatoria Teak, a sustainable agro-forestry company that’s been operating in the country for more than a decade.

The company's been doing trials on excelsa for years. Initial results are promising, with the trees able to withstand heat much better than other species, the company said. It's also working with communities to revive the coffee industry and scale up production.

Many of the trees started producing for the first time this year, and Paterson said he hopes to export the first batch of some 7 tonnes to speciality shops in Europe.

By 2027, the coffee could inject some $2 million into the economy, with big buyers such as Nespresso expressing interest.