Été Coffee CEO Lichan Humstoe presents live demonstration on the basics from fresh coffee cherry to coffee cupping at ComCof 2026 at Kohima on February 21. (Morung Photo)
ComCof 2026: When People become the Brand
Morung Express News
Kohima | February 21
Coffee is no longer just a crop but it has become a conversation. At ComCof 2026, farmers, processors, roasters, cuppers and enthusiasts gather with a shared purpose that goes beyond trade or taste. They come together for ‘coffee and sharing.’
As Été Coffee marks its 10th anniversary, Lichan Humstoe, CEO of Été Coffee explained that CoMCof is a short form of ‘community coffee’- a collaborative coffee-focused gathering or platform where farmers, roasters, professionals and enthusiast come together to share knowledge, demonstrate processing methods, cup coffees and promote open resource sharing within the coffee ecosystem.
Commemorating the anniversary at Été Coffee, he presented a live demonstration on the basics from fresh coffee cherry to fermentation followed by a guided coffee cupping session.
he highlight of the day was the presentation of ‘Thutshe Coffee and Sourdough Coffee’ alongwith a range of other anaerobic fermentation profiles for comparison and learning.
First of its kind in India
Thutshe Coffee, as explained by Humtsoe is a pioneering coffee processing and fermentation methodology born in Nagaland. “Unlike conventional trademarks, Thutshe Coffee is not registered as a product or a service. It is protected as knowledge,” he added.
What makes Thutshe Coffee truly distinctive is its intent, said Humstoe elaborating that rather branding a bag of coffee, it protects a processing and fermentation methodology. “Instead of exporting raw material, we are exporting technique. This positions Nagaland quiet not just as a coffee-growing region, but as a coffee-innovating region,” said the CEO.
The trademark is intended to be used exclusively by Nagas, guided by a simple but radical belief that the people of the land must become the brand.
“At Été Coffee, we believe the brand should not be the logo, the brand must be the people, the processors and the community,” said Humstoe while adding that trade marking Thutse for the Nagas ensures the intellectual property remains with the community, knowledge is shared locally, and value addition happens at origin.
He also informed that the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and techniques will be simplified and transferred to farmers in the most practical format possible.
Where science meets tradition
As explained, Thutshe Coffee bridges scientific research with indigenous knowledge systems that have long existed in the region. While the framework is scientifically guided yet it is deeply community-rooted, drawing from traditional practices while grounding every step in documented fermentation science.
“Thutshe Coffee represents intellectual property rooted in community, scientific curiosity grounded in tradition, economic optimisation through quality and a vision of making people the bran,” said the CEO.
Thutshe Coffee is also an attempt to a practical reality of land and livelihood. Rather than expanding acreage, it focuses on elevating cup quality with a goal to optimise economic return with minimal land use by producing better coffee, not more coffee.
From farm to cup
Beyond processing, Humtsoe explained that Thutshe Coffee aims to nurture professionals across the entire coffee chain where farmers, fermentation practitioners, roasters, cuppers, and researchers are encouraged to grow together, creating an ecosystem of shared learning and collective progress.
ComCof has become a space where processing methods are demonstrated, coffees are cupped, ideas are exchanged, and resources are shared openly and circulated.
