World Coffee Research brings robusta into the Innovea Global Breeding Network

Manizales, Colombia, November 20, 2025—Today, World Coffee Research (WCR) announced the expansion of the Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network to encompass robusta breeding in addition to arabica. The announcement includes the addition of Vietnam and Ghana to the network—two of the five countries currently participating in the robusta program—expanding national partnerships to 11 countries that together produce 40% of the world’s coffee supply.

“WCR’s model of collaborative variety development brings together new genetic diversity with a global network design that is focused on speed and cost effectiveness,” says WCR CEO, Dr. Jennifer “Vern” Long. “We know farmers need improved arabica and robusta varieties as soon as possible—to withstand climate change, increase profitability, and ensure sustainable supplies—and we can accelerate progress by working together.”

Innovea is the most ambitious and globally coordinated breeding program in history, bringing together collaborating countries to transform coffee breeding and create enhanced genetics at an unprecedented pace. This partnership among government research institutions in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, is creating and testing a new generation of climate-resilient coffee trees on a global scale. It gives participating countries access to new arabica and robusta genetic materials, modern breeding approaches, and shared tools—all while connecting researchers across vast geographies. This partnership model transforms coffee breeding into a dynamic, collaborative force for innovation. The effort was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025, recognizing its role in reshaping the future of coffee.

WCR announced the expansion at a global gathering of coffee breeders from fifteen breeding programs around the world hosted by Cenicafé in Colombia. In addition to welcoming Vietnam and Ghana, four existing network countries—India, Indonesia, Rwanda, and Uganda—will now add robusta breeding to their Innovea portfolio. Together, these six countries export 64% of the world’s robusta.

“Vietnam is proud to be the world’s top producer and exporter of robusta coffee, and we are eager to continue to support farmers in that success. This collaboration network provides an excellent opportunity to accelerate the development of varieties that meet farmers’ needs, achieve climate resilience, and secure exports for the long term,” says Dr. Ha of the Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (WASI).

“The Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute [ICCRI] is eager to join the Robusta breeding network initiated by WCR to accelerate progress in developing new, high-yielding, and climate-resilient Robusta varieties suitable for Indonesia,” says Dini Astika Sari, Director of ICCRI. “This collaboration with a global partner like WCR will help elevate Indonesia’s coffee sector, driving improved productivity, quality, sustainability, and smallholders' livelihoods through cutting-edge technologies and inclusive innovation."

The Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network is funded by WCR’s 200 member companies in 30 countries, whose collective investment ensures diverse and sustainable supplies of quality coffee today and for generations to come. “There is tremendous, unlocked potential in robusta coffee based on its natural tendency toward higher yield and drought tolerance, and the expansion of the Innovea network will help us better understand how we can harness these qualities. This work will benefit smallholder farmers, help ensure origin diversity, and enable taste profiles we know our consumers crave,” said Jim Trout, Vice President, Coffee R&D, The J.M. Smucker Co. “This initiative is a great reflection of the work of World Coffee Research and a testament to the importance of agricultural research and development, which is one the most powerful tools we have to support a sustainable future for green coffee.”

The trees used to jumpstart Innovea’s robusta breeding include a collection provided by CIRAD, the French agricultural research and international cooperation organization. The WCR breeding team crossed them together in new and unique combinations that will bring a huge infusion of new genetic resources to breeders in many important robusta origins. “Robusta varieties created from this program will bring highly productive and climate resilient trees into supply chains,” says Dr. Tania Humprey, WCR Research Director, “which will create both economic and resilience benefits for farmers and the sector as a whole.”

These new robusta variety candidates are already being propagated for distribution to network participants. Starting in 2027, each partner will receive 1,000 unique new trees from WCR for performance testing and will work collaboratively to identify climate resilient options with a focus on high yield, disease resistance, and enhanced quality.

For inquiries or interviews, contact:
Hanna Neuschwander, Sr. Advisor, Communications
+1 (503) 560 7828
hanna@worldcoffeeresearch.org