Membership

World Coffee Research unites the global coffee industry to drive science-based agricultural solutions to urgently secure a diverse and sustainable supply of quality coffee today and for generations to come. 

Membership advances the shared research and development (R&D) infrastructure no single company could build alone. Members receive benefits near and long-term.

Advantage. Influence variety quality profiles and know what’s coming before non-member competitors. 

Leverage. Provide direct input on WCR’s innovation pipeline through a cooperative model that lifts every member and category. 

Access. Stay informed with early intelligence on variety performance and early tasting of new variety candidates. Take field visits and connect directly to coffee genetics at origin. 

Credibility. Benefit from an expert-verified, cutting-edge approach, Enveritas-approved sustainability, and climate risk mitigation for CSRD/ESG compliance. 

Innovation. Support plant innovation and the delivery of breakthrough genetics to farmer fields across the world. 

The primary return on investment for member companies is the mitigation of key business and sustainability risks.
Member benefits are the ways in which World Coffee Research engages companies in its research so that members can steward investment in alignment with their specific interests, including connection and distinction, content, and collaboration.

Benefits are tiered, and the full suite accessible at the highest tier of investment is listed below.

Member portal. Unlimited user access for your whole team. 

Research updates. WCR science told through our newsletter, with the most important items sent directly. 

Member-only webinars. Sessions diving deeper into WCR’s research and work. 

Annual virtual business meeting. Report out to the full membership once a year. 

Local member events. Gatherings in major cities: a presentation, Q&A, and reception. 

Virtual WCR presentation for your team. From a high-level briefing for broad teams to a focused research update for a sourcing or sustainability group; tailored to company priorities and strategy. 

Bi-annual WCR CEO visit. A full day in-person with our CEO—sessions for all staff, the coffee/sourcing/sustainability team, and leadership. 

Recognition. Naming on the WCR website and in the annual report. 

Member Day at the WCR Farm. Experience a day at origin, inside the science. 

Name and logo use. Full package of marks, including our “Proud Member” logo, for use. 

Logo on packaging. Licensing agreement, hands-on support to get our logo on-pack. 

Brand assets. Includes photo kit and key messages to tell the WCR story. 

Market your membership guide. A practical playbook for putting membership to work. 

Digital content packages. Social graphics, copy, and videos, ready to publish. 

Report content on demand. Research highlights, quotes, and boilerplate for annual and sustainability reporting. 

Tasting of WCR F1 hybrids. Sample kits with brand assets to tell the story.* 

Cupping evaluation events. Send a team member to spend three days evaluating new variety candidates in a small group, paired with a visit to the WCR farm or a national research partner site. 

Input on research agenda. Help shape the variety development pipeline and other research priorities. 

Strategic influence. Board director or Advisory Committee seat, pending Board approval. 

World Coffee Research is a 501(c)(5) nonprofit agricultural organization. As such, WCR is exempt from U.S. federal income tax. In the U.S., contributions to WCR may be tax-deductible as trade or business expenses. WCR is not a 501c3, therefore contributions are not tax deductible for individuals. Please consult your tax advisor to determine whether and to the extent to which your donation may be deductible.

We offer a simple membership fee structure with four (4) primary categories for industry stakeholders to partner with us: 

1. Brand roasters/manufacturers/retailers

2. Business-to-business roasters/manufacturers

3. Green coffee suppliers/traders/decaffeinators, and 

4. Allied companies in the coffee value chain (including equipment, flavoring, food, producers, and consulting). 

If you don't see that your business fits into these categories but are interested in becoming a member, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss options with you.

Yes! New members have three years to reach the target investment level specified in this fee structure; two years of increasing amounts to reach the target in the third year. We guide toward 30% in year 1, 60% in year 2, and 100% in year 3. 

There is no prescribed pathway, however, and you can start at an amount right for your budget and step up gradually (minimum amount is $250). We find that this is often a feasible way to successfully build internal buy-in over several years. Please reach out to us and let’s talk more.

Placement in volume/revenue bands is made using current-year figures, to determine membership rate for the following year. WCR membership will be on a calendar year basis. If a member company's green coffee volume or volume-equivalent increases such that the company would move into a higher membership band, the member will have two years to reach the new target level. At the time of annual renewal, members can also change between the Fixed Rate annual contributions and Checkoff options.

Companies are encouraged to become members of WCR at their appropriate level, and new membership provides for a three-year period of increasing investment to meet this target. Making a financial contribution to WCR at a lower amount is possible, but does not come with member benefits. Please contact us to discuss further.