Third annual member day brings participants closer to the future of coffee at WCR farm
Member company representatives from across the world gather in El Salvador to engage first-hand with WCR’s work
HIGHLIGHTS
- Connecting with research. WCR hosted Member Day at its own farm in El Salvador, giving global partners a firsthand look at the science behind coffee variety development.
- Field immersion. Participants toured several field sites showcasing the innovation behind WCR’s work, including the arabica plot of the Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network.
- Industry collaboration. Member Day brought like-minded peers together and reinforced the value of pre-competitive partnership to create a more sustainable, climate-resilient coffee sector.
From December 3–5, the World Coffee Research (WCR) team had the pleasure of welcoming representatives from member companies around the globe to El Salvador for the organization’s third annual Member Day. This event—designed to connect members more deeply with variety research—was the very first to take place at WCR’s own farm, bringing participants closer than ever to the science behind a more sustainable future for coffee.
The WCR Research Farm is where the organization’s most important work to unleash the power of coffee varieties begins. Participants embarked on a learning journey that showcases how WCR creates new varieties, tests them, and what pathways are needed to distribute new planting material to farmers worldwide.
The group began their day visiting several field sites, including the International Multilocation Variety Trial site, where 31 top-performing existing varieties have been under evaluation since 2015, the plot which houses the Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network’s arabica plants, and WCR’s robusta collection.
Senior Research Technician Elly Castro explains how the WCR team manages the Innovea arabica field site and collects performance data.
In addition, participants were able to experience WCR’s new micro-batch processing facility where cherry samples from nearly 100 individual trees are processed each day for evaluation during harvest season. From here, participants toured the nearby mill and nursery facilities of the 134-year-old J. Hill Coffee Company—an early partner of in WCR’s variety development operations—and ended the day with a cupping of local coffees.
Research Technician Josue Arevalo Alvarenga walks participants through the micro-batch processing facility and how the team maintains traceability of the hundreds of samples that move through it weekly during harvest season.
“To say we learned a lot would be an understatement. WCR’s tremendous portfolio of skills, experience, and passion for coffee is making our industry better every day,” said Tom Corley, President and CEO of Community Coffee. “This is such important work that will only enable positive outcomes for our industry, regions, farmers, consumers, and society.”
Director of Research and Development Dr. Tania Humphrey explains the design of the Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network’s arabica field site.
WCR and its staff are deeply grateful for the member company representatives, guests, and partners who joined in this event to experience what it means to engage in pre-competitive industry collaboration. Team members—including CEO Dr. Vern Long, Director of Research Dr. Tania Humphrey, Director of Partnerships Dr. Kraig Kraft, Director of Industry Membership and Development Alexa Heinicke, Senior Administration Manager José María Gómez Vargas, Senior Research Technician Elly Castro, and Research Technician Josué Arevalo Alvarenga—concluded the event with a renewed sense of appreciation for these industry stakeholders continuing their commitment to the innovative agricultural research that will transform the coffee sector for years to come.