World Coffee Research
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
World Coffee Research (WCR) is a non-profit research and development agricultural organization.[2] The organization was founded with participation or funds from thirty coffee industry groups including the Specialty Coffee Association of America, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Counter Culture Coffee, the coffee importers InterAmerican Coffee, and specialty coffee providers Coffee Bean International.[3][4]
| Abbreviation | WCR |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2012 |
| Type | Non-profit organization |
| Purpose | Agricultural research and development |
| Headquarters | United States |
Region served | Global |
| Fields | Coffee genetics, agronomy, climate resilience |
Key people | Jennifer "Vern" Long (CEO)[1] |
| Website | worldcoffeeresearch.org |
Overview
WCR was founded in 2012[5] by plant geneticist Dr. Timothy Schilling. WCR uses research in coffee genetics and agronomy to create new varieties, and advises farmers, among others with respect to the threat of climate change.[6] The current CEO is Vern Long, a plant breeder who formerly served as director of the Office of Agricultural Research & Policy at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).[7]
WCR launched a focused F1 hybrid coffee breeding program in 2015 to develop high-yielding, climate-resilient varieties that also meet specialty coffee quality standards.[8] The program combines multi-year field trials across several countries with large-scale sensory evaluation by international roasters, aiming to shorten the time required to bring improved coffee varieties to market compared with traditional breeding approaches.[8]
In 2022, the Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network developed by WCR was named one of Time magazine’s Best Inventions for its role in accelerating the development of climate-resilient coffee varieties.[9] Through the initiative, WCR established a global repository of genetic data that enables government-affiliated research institutions to develop more resilient coffee varieties. Once new varieties are identified, participating producing countries can share their findings with other members of the network.[10]
In August 2023, World Coffee Research released an open-access genetic fingerprint database for arabica coffee, designed to enable low-cost and reliable variety authentication using SNP molecular markers.[11] The database, validated with tens of thousands of samples from multiple Latin American countries, is intended to improve quality control in coffee seed systems and reduce economic risks for farmers.[11]
Collaboration
WCR collaborates with local research institutions, coffee organizations, governments, and NGOs to carry out a common research agenda.[12] They also partner with the private sector to aid the uptake of agricultural innovations through the coffee supply chain.[13] Between 2012 and 2018, WCR says it collaborated with 81 partners, including 33 government institutes and research organizations.[12]
