This members-only virtual event included an overview of F1 hybrids, a refresher on WCR’s ongoing F1 program, an update on the program’s latest milestone, and an opportunity to ask questions from the scientists involved.
In addition, during this event, WCR issued a call for expressions of interest (EOIs) from partners who would like to participate in large-scale pre-commercial testing of our final four candidates.
Presenters
Hanna Neuschwander, Director of Communications
Whether she’s explaining the impact of climate change to a room full of coffee roasters, or coffee genetics to a hedge fund trader, or coffee brewing to her mom, the intersection of coffee, science, and communication is Hanna's passion. She is the author of over 50 magazine articles on coffee, and of the book Left Coast Roast. (See some of Hanna's talks here and here and here). In her role as director of strategy and communications with WCR, she works closely with organizations across the coffee value stream to think about how to strategically align and communicate long-term sustainability investments. She is based in Portland, Oregon.
Tania Humphrey, Director of Research & Development
Tania Humphrey is the Director of Research & Development (R&D) of World Coffee Research and oversees WCR’s research portfolio. She is passionate about innovation in agriculture and combines a business approach with a strong understanding of science to achieve real-world impact. Tania holds a Ph.D. in Plant Science from the University of Queensland, Australia, and, in her early career, she held research positions at both the University of Toronto and Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada. Prior to WCR, Tania served as the Vice President of R&D at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Canada where she led a team of scientists, engineers, and technical staff in plant variety development, biocontrol, and automation technologies for a wide variety of crops, including tree crops like apples and peaches, and others such as greenhouse vegetables, sweet potatoes, and roses.
Emilia Umaña, Nursery Development Program Manager
Emilia is responsible for all field activities related to the coffee seed and nursery sectors under the WCR Nursery Development Program. Emilia has an agricultural engineering degree in agronomy from EARTH University in Costa Rica, and a degree as a project manager specialist from the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica. She has a depth of experience and understanding of renovation programs and the coffee nursery and seed sector from her work in nurseries.