With the meticulous, handwritten records detailing species and genetic varieties of plants, documented by the Belgians, having disappeared decades ago, most farmers here now know little about the genetic varieties of Robusta and Arabica on their farms, let alone how to secure trademarks for them, as has been done in countries like Ethiopia.

And while more people in the West are now enjoying Congolese specialty coffee thanks to increasing interest from fair-trade buyers and nongovernmental organizations, Mathias Sekabanza, a 62-year-old coffee farmer, has never even tasted a cup.

Like many Congolese growers, he is more interested in the profits it can bring in.

“I don’t know what coffee is for, whether it’s a medicine,” said Mr. Sekabanza, who has a small plot of land in the village of Tarika, near the town of Ntamugenga. “I just see that they really buy it.”

Producing specialty coffee is much more involved than harvesting and processing commercial coffee beans, said Kyle Tush, an analyst at Counter Culture, a wholesaler that supplies boutique cafes in the United States.

Without high-level technical advice and support to ensure consistency in the taste and color of specialty coffee, he said, “a really great cup of coffee is very improbable.”