Who is Raj Kumar Banjara?

Dr. Banjara is an awardee of the Nepal Bidhya Bhusan, the highest level of Academic medal conferred by the Rt Hon. president of Nepal, and the first Nepalese Q Grader, AST, and disability-inclusive coffee educator.

He is the founder of HimalayanArabica® Specialty Coffee, National Coffee Academy, and the curator of ‘iCoffee’, InclusiveCoffeeJourneys.org

He has been working in different sectors of the coffee value chain including growing, processing, roasting, and exporting; all of which cultivated his understanding of what good quality coffee should be.

Latest Coffee-Related Experiences

• Coffee Training for Deaf and PwD
• Host – Inclusive Barista Training for People with Disabilities, March 2021
• Host SCA Brewing Intermediate and Professional – 2019
• Host Cum Facilitator – CQI Coffee Processing level 1 with Ms. Emma Sage – 2019
• Principal Trainer, Coffee Production and Quality Management – 2018 (Nepal Tea and Coffee Development Board (NTCDB) Regional Office Pokhara, Nepal)
• Lead Consultant, Pre Q Cup Tasting Training Program – 2018 (Organized by EU-funded Hamro Coffee Project and National Coffee Producers Association)
• National Senior Expert, National Coffee Cupping Even- 2018 (Organized by Nepal Tea and Coffee Development Board (NTCDB); Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD); Ministry of Commerce (MoC) in the association of EU-TPSD Project)
• Technical Committee Member for 2017 – 2018 National Skill Testing Board, Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT)

Book Published

• Effects of Organic Farming on the Livelihood of Small Holders in Nepal

Key Publications

• Economic Impact Of Organic Farming; Cases From The Farmers Of Nepal – Published by – Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, UK
• Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) As Alternative To Third Party Organic Certification For Farmers In Nepal Published by – The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, India
• Sustainable Model Of Organic Agriculture Published by – Journal of Advanced Academic Research (JAAR), Nepal
• Principles Of Organic Agriculture And Its Social Implication In Reference To The Nepalese Practices Published by – Int’l Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food (IJSAF), UK
• Implication Of Diffusion Model In The Process And Practices Of Organic Farming In Nepal Published by – New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

Raj Kumar Banjara, Ph.D

• Founder of National Coffee Academy
• Founder of HimalayanArabica^® Specialty Coffee Brand
• Founder of KaidaKo Coffee
• Curator of ‘iCoffee’, Inclusive Coffee Journeys
• Certified Arabica Q Grader
• Authorized Trainer (AST) of Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)
• Sustainable Coffee Institute (SCI) Instructor
• SCA Diploma Holder
• Former Executive Board Member, Nepal Tea & Coffee Development Board
• Former Executive Committee Member (Expert) – Nepal Coffee Producers’ Association
• Co-Founder and Former Director of Nepal Philosophical Research Center
• An awardee of the Nepal Bidhya Bhusan by Rt. Hon President of Nepal

Main Area of Expertise

• Specialty Coffee Technical Education and Vocational Training, Production and International Trade

Membership of Professional Bodies

• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), USA
• International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Germany
• International Society for Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR), India
• European Centre for Research Training and Development, UK
• Ph.D. Association of Nepal (PAN), Kathmandu, Nepal
• Nepal Herbs and Herbal Products Association (NEHHPA)
• National Tea and Coffee Development Board, Nepal
• Nepal Coffee Producers Association (NCPA)

Coffee Awards & Achievements

• Top 5 Best Coffee in the world in Gourmet Coffee Catagory award for two consecutive years 2016 and 2017, France
• Best Coffee Processor of Nepal 2017, Nepal Coffee Producers’ Association
• Best Coffee Producer of Nepal 2016, Nepal Government