@DantheMan

Your comments vis-a-vis globalization are spot on. I bet you're not far off on the shipping cost Jakarta-LA vs. Baoshan-Kunming either.

On robusta vs arabica,I'm afraid I'm the one who brought up the distinction when I revived this thread, and therefore guilty of being "fancy-pants".

I'm actually really not some fancy-pants connoisseur. When I wrote that post, I'd just read an article about robusta vs arabica. It dawned on me that the coffee I've been brewing for myself in Kunming for the last 2+ years has probably not been the best quality stuff, seeing as I bought the cheapest beans I could find (the bulk beans that Paul's used to sell for 40 kuai/500 g). I decided it was time to spend a little more money and see if I could improve the quality of the coffee I was drinking.

Just now after reading your response, I googled Arabica vs. Robusta and looked at several of the top search results. Every single one says that, on average, Arabica is indeed better than Robusta, so I don't think it's fair to label this a fancy-pants matter. That said, I agree with your logic that a good Robusta is surely better than a bad Arabica. None of what I read says all Arabica is good, just that on average it is better, and that good coffees are much more likely to use it, while most of the world's Robusta goes to making mass-produced instant coffee.

The difference, I gather, can be linked to agronomic and geographical differences. Arabica and Robusta are two different species, and they grow in distinct environments, Arabica in higher, cooler, sub-tropical mountainous environments not directly on the equator, and Robusta in lower-lying, hotter tropical plains near the equator. Arabic are more sensitive, they require more attention and higher skilled labor than comparatively resilient Robusta. For this reason alone, Arabica are more expensive.

Dan, I think you're right. Also, there must be some sort of system where the shipping costs are averaged out.

Ok, let's cut through the coffee bullshit. Here's what they have to say at coffeetruth. Everything you always wanted to know about coffee but were afraid to ask:

coffeetruth.wordpress.com/2009/01/06/arabica-vs-robusta/
Usually the better coffee blends are always a mix of the 2 families, where the Arabica gives the flavour and the character and the robusta adds the crema and kick of the caffeine.

There are more than 100 different varieties of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans in relation to the country of origin. The quality of the coffee bean can vary widely within a single region and depends upon a number of factors. The producer, their harvest methods and the year of growth can significantly affect the taste, aroma and quality of the beans.

Don't' be fooled by the high price or by the 100% Arabica labels. Ask where the beans are grown. As a general rule, the best Arabica Beans come from South America, whilst the best Robusta beans come from India.