News

The best plants and farming practices in the world aren’t worth a thing if they are not available to the farmers who need them. Though WCR is not a seed company or extension service, our work doesn’t stop with creating and testing the best new technologies and knowledge. It extends to programs that make them accessible to farmers.

In summer 2018, the first-ever collaborative coffee breeding hub for Africa was launched. Hosted by the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) in collaboration with a consortium of coffee producing countries and World Coffee Research, this coffee breeding hub will help nations throughout Africa navigate the future of sustainable coffee production, providing them with breeding material for the creation of next generation of local coffee varieties, helping them cultivate and adapt other regions’ improved varieties, and more.

The board of directors of World Coffee Research (WCR) has named Jennifer “Vern” Long as the new CEO of the organization. Dr. Tim Schilling, the founder and outgoing chief executive officer of WCR, will work side-by-side with Long through the end of the year, then step into a new role as president of WCR’s European subsidiary branch and a member of the board of directors. Long will take the helm of WCR on June 1. A plant breeder by training, Long brings 25 years of experience in international agricultural research with a focus on smallholders.

Fewer farmers, less origin diversity—that is the likely future that coffee faces without significant innovation and investment to support coffee producers around the world to remain profitable and continue farming.