India has a rich coffee history intertwined with that of global cultivation. In 1670, Baba Budan smuggled seven coffee seeds from Yemen to Karnataka, making India the third country to cultivate arabica coffee. The Gundikhan Estate is located just a few kilometers from this historic site.
In 2023, we connected with KaadKaapi, a collective of Indian farmers in the Western Ghats. The region is a hotspot: an area containing incredible biodiversity with many species found nowhere else in the world, but unfortunately threatened by mining, development, and unsustainable agriculture. The scientific community recognizes that protecting hotspots like the Western Ghats is crucial for safeguarding future global biodiversity.
KaadKaapi farmers believe that with thoughtful approaches, coffee production can support conservation. The group is dedicated to wildlife-friendly coffee farming: they advocate for the free migration of animals like elephants and tigers, viewing them as partners rather than threats to be driven away by fences and firecrackers.
To mitigate the losses from wildlife interactions such as trampled trees, Gundikhan Estate’s owner, Saif, focuses on producing quality coffee that commands premium prices in the market. His controlled fermentation and special drying practices have yielded a sweet coffee with notes of pecan praline, milk chocolate, and citrus.
Through our partnership with KaadKaapi and Osito Coffee, we are delighted to present Gundikhan Estate. We invite you to savor this sweet, mellow, forward-thinking Indian coffee, while supporting farmers committed to preserving the natural resources of their heritage.
