Guide to deploying World Coffee Research's work in your supply chain
Found one hundred results.
Arabica and Robusta Coffee Varieties Poster
A visualization of the genetic relationships between coffee varieties from the WCR Coffee Varieties Catalog
Multiclass Classification of Agro-Ecological Zones for Arabica Coffee
Peer-reviewed paper in the journal PLOS ONE
Study: Widespread lack of genetic conformity for Arabica coffee
A new, open-access study published in the Journal of AOAC International describes a way to authenticate Arabica coffee varieties using an SSR DNA fingerprinting method and describes how the method…
World Coffee Research releases open-access Coffea arabica genetic fingerprinting database
Tool dramatically reduces cost of coffee variety identification and genetic traceability
Coffea Arabica Genome
The first fully open-access genome sequence for Arabica coffee
Uganda
In Uganda, coffee is a critical part of the economy and its importance is growing. Over 1.8 million households grow coffee, which contributes nearly a third of the country’s export earnings, paying…
Kenya
Kenya has historically produced some of the highest quality arabica coffees in the world, prized for their acidity, intensity, and complexity of flavor. But Kenya also suffers from severe disease and…
India
Nearly all Indian coffee production occurs under shade, and coffee is often grown together with other high-value crops. As such, Indian coffee systems are models for the world as we look for…
MiiR x World Coffee Research
Design forward, generosity driven drinkware brand MiiR has teamed up with World Coffee Research to create a range of products to raise money in support of WCR's mission to protect and enhance the…
Reducing coffee carbon emissions through improved varieties
A critical pathway for slowing emissions growth
Robusta Clonal Coffee Nursery Management: Supporting Videos
Series supporting the UCDA's “Clonal Robusta Coffee Nursery Manual”
Groundbreaking Coffee Leaf Rust Study Offers Insights Into Resistance
by Nick Brown for Daily Coffee News
Home
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.
Ethiopia
There is no other coffee country in the world like Ethiopia. It is the birthplace of Coffea arabica and contains nearly one-fifth of all coffee farms across the world. Coffee is critical to the…
Indonesia
Indonesia is one of the most diverse coffee origins in the world, producing both arabica and robusta coffee, and contributing 5% of the world’s coffee exports.1 Coffee supports 1.77 million people…
A new Arabusta for the 21st century
On the island of East Timor, sometime in the 1920s, an impossible legend was born: the Timor Hybrid. Somehow, a C. arabica plant and a C. canephora (Robusta) plant reproduced and created a natural…
Yemeni coffee—how genetically diverse is it?
Until recently, very little was known about the diversity of Yemen’s coffees outside of anecdotes and observation. In 2014, WCR partnered with Dr. Al Hakimi of S'ana University to explore the…
Climate change: Pinpointing the world’s most vulnerable coffee zones
A new coffee study, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, confirms predictions that half of the land currently suitable for Arabica coffee production will no longer be suitable by 2050. But it…
WCR welcomes new member: Foodbuy
Compass Group, the world’s largest foodservice company, along with Foodbuy (their procurement arm) is the first foodservice company to commit to a sustainable future for coffee where coffee…
Varieties catalog goes global
This week, World Coffee Research launched a major update to its Arabica Coffee Varieties catalog, expanding it to include varieties from six new countries: Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, and…
First fully open-access Coffea arabica genome sequence released
Today, a partnership led by illycaffè and Lavazza, together with Istituto di Genomica Applicata, IGA Technology Services, DNA Analytica, and the universities of Trieste, Udine, Padova, and Verona,…
2018: A Year in Review
Highlighting some of WCR's greatest accomplishments in 2018.
A coffee treasure found, and possibly lost again
A new research paper confirms that South Sudan is a center of evolutionary origin for arabica, and the plant populations in the area possess unique genetic diversity. The diversity was rediscovered…
Climate change threat sends coffee roaster on bean hunt
A new article from Bloomberg details the efforts that Tokyo’s Key Coffee Inc. is taking—in partnership with WCR and the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (ICCRI)—to ensure sustainable…
What is coffee DNA testing and how does it help farmers?
For the last few years, we have been building a genetic database of coffee varieties. Reference samples have been assembled from large collections of coffee plants from research institutions and…
World Coffee Research launches first-ever coffee variety catalog
World Coffee Research has released “Coffee Varieties of Mesoamerica and the Caribbean,” a first-of-its-kind catalog of arabica coffee varieties designed for use by coffee farmers. The catalog is…
Australia
Australia is a small but growing coffee origin, producing primarily high-quality arabica in subtropical and tropical zones of Queensland and New South Wales. The industry has developed niche markets…
Rwanda
Rwanda’s coffee sector is small in volume but central to rural livelihoods and export earnings, contributing US $115 million to the economy in 2022/3, 13.5% of Rwanda’s total agricultural export…
Vietnam
Vietnam is the world’s largest producer of robusta coffee, accounting for over 40% of global robusta output. Vietnam has an estimated 640,000 farms1, mostly concentrated in the Western Highlands…
United States
The United States is primarily an importer and roaster of coffee but produces small volumes in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and California. Hawaii’s Kona coffee is internationally recognized for quality,…
Seed Supply Quality Assurance
Building a stronger coffee seed sector through genetic traceability tools and training
WCR Releases 2020 Annual Report
In 2020, despite a year of enormous challenge and uncertainty, 217 coffee companies—representing one-fifth of the global coffee market share—continued their support for collaborative science and…
Honduras
Over the two decades, Honduras has risen to become the dominant exporter of coffee in Central America. Historically, Honduras has been known primarily as a source for commercial-grade arabicas, but…
Strategy 2021–2025
Enhancing country competitiveness to bolster origin diversity
Researching variety performance in Australia
Coffee has been grown in Australia since the 1800s, though never in a commercial capacity. But the country is capable of producing specialty coffee, and is now participating in research trials with…
Dr. Timothy Schilling: A Life in Coffee
To honor the retirement of Dr. Timothy Schilling, founder of World Coffee Research, we talked to a dozen people who have worked closely with him over the course of his coffee career, which began in…
F1 Hybrid Trials
A new class of coffee varieties for climate change
Annual Report 2015
In 2015, World Coffee Research completed projects that will be transformative for the future of coffee
Peru
Peru is the world’s leading producer of certified Fair Trade and organic arabica coffee. Coffee is grown along the eastern slopes of the Andes, spanning 17 of the country’s 24 regions. With over…
Guatemala
Guatemalan coffee is recognized worldwide for its quality, grown at high altitudes with diverse, distinctive flavors. Guatemala was the first coffee-producing country to establish a denomination of…
Mexico
Mexico is one of the world’s top 10 coffee exporters, with production concentrated in Chiapas, Veracruz, Puebla, and Oaxaca. While most output is commercial-grade washed arabica, the country is…
Nicaragua
Coffee production and washed arabica exports are economically and socially important to Nicaragua, contributing over 20% of agricultural GDP, and providing about half of all agricultural jobs in the…
Coffee varieties catalog
An interactive website exploring Arabica and Robusta varieties
Innovea Global Breeding Network
Working together to breed better coffee trees, faster—so farmers can keep growing coffee as the climate changes.
Coping with 32°
Research shows clearly that rising temperatures pose the greatest threat to coffee, greater even than increased drought.
The coming climate
Which varieties are deeply affected by small changes in climate—for example, hotter, drier temperatures—and which have stable performance across a wide range of climates? How does climate impact…
Coming along in Kenya
Kenya was one of the first countries to be included in the International Multilocation Variety Trial.
IMLVT’s first harvests
When World Coffee Research (WCR) formed in 2012, one of the first initiatives the organization launched was the International Multilocation Variety Trial (IMLVT). Each of 24 participating country…
International variety trial reports first data
When World Coffee Research formed in 2012, one of the first initiatives the organization launched was the International Multilocation Variety Trial (IMLVT), the world’s largest coffee variety…
F1 Hybrids Explainer
While these varieties are still relatively new to coffee farmers and industry, it is difficult to imagine a future without them. No varieties in the past have been able to combine traits that matter…
Study: All Arabica derived from a single ancestral plant
A new study published today used modern genetics tools to trace the history of the Coffea arabica species, the most common and economically important commercial coffee crop species worldwide.…
WCR Think + Drink
The Think + Drink is our annual gathering and report-out to the coffee community about WCR's progress over the prior year and a preview of what's ahead. Highlights include a virtual tour of the…
Get to know Jane Cheserek
Jane Cheserek is the head of the coffee breeding unit at the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya, and she’s one of the many experts who collaborate with WCR. Cheserek is the liason in Kenya for the…
Open-access manuals support coffee nurseries
World Coffee Research (WCR) and Promecafe have launched two new manuals of best practices for coffee seed producers and nursery managers, which are available for free download. The guides are…
Nuevas Guías para apoyar a los viveros de café (libre acceso)
El World Coffee Research (WCR) y PROMECAFE se complacen en anunciar hoy el lanzamiento de dos nuevas Guías de buenas prácticas para los productores de semillas de café y productores de plantas en…
ASIC 2020: Montpellier, France
The Association for the Science and Information on Coffee Conference, also known as the ASIC Conference, will be held from June 22 to 25 2020 in Montpellier, France. This year's theme is 'connecting…
Quiet heroes of coffee science gather in China to share latest research
At the biannual International Conference on Coffee Science, held this year in China's Yunnan province, the world's top coffee researchers gathered to share their recent findings. World Coffee…
Probat Burns invests in innovation where coffee begins
Probat Burns, the iconic maker of coffee roasting equipment, is the first roast manufacturing company to commit to a sustainable future for coffee where the beverage begins—with the seed. Probat…
New coffee variety scores 90 points in Nicaragua Cup of Excellence competition
A coffee variety called Centroamericano, part of a new class of F1 hybrid varieties, has proven its quality potential by earning a score of 90 out of 100 points in the world’s leading competition and…
2017 Annual Report
Using advances in agricultural science, it is possible to dramatically improve coffee yields, coffee quality, climate resilience, and farmer livelihoods. Our globe-spanning research is designed to…
Tillers of the soil
In this feature-length article for Standart Magazine, World Coffee Research's Hanna Neuschwander reflects on how coffee researchers are combining the genetics revolution with how age-old breeding…
Caravela Coffee renews its commitment to supporting World Coffee Research
Caravela Coffee has announced it will give $130,000 over the next two years to support the entire research-and-development agenda of World Coffee Research (WCR).
What to check out at the upcoming ASIC conference
Next week, coffee scientists from all over the world will gather in Portland, Ore., for a biennial conference dedicated to the science and technology of coffee. This conference, known as ASIC, always…
It starts with a seed
In her second feature-length article for Standart Magazine, World Coffee Research's Hanna Neuschwander reflects on how new varieties—better coffee trees with higher yield and better cup quality—could…
CEO Update
For International Coffee Day 2021, we are taking a moment to reflect on what we’ve accomplished at WCR in the past couple years and what we have in store for the months and years ahead.
Breeding tools
Global tools to enable breeding modernization
Where to find us in Boston at the Specialty Coffee Expo 2022
Join us for the Think + Drink and Expo lectures
WCR Releases 2021 Annual Report
In 2021, World Coffee Research celebrated 10 years of innovation and global leadership in coffee agriculture since our formation in 2011. Over the last decade, the organization has matured…
WCR Selects Recipients of PhilCAFE Research Grants
World Coffee Research is proud to announce the winners of six research grants. These grants are awarded on behalf of the Philippine Coffee Advancement and Farm Enterprise (PhilCAFE) project.
Resources for coffee nursery management
A set of resources for successful nursery operation
Where To Find Us in Milan at World of Coffee 2022
Join us for a lecture and panel on the quality and flavor of coffee
WCR launches partnership to work in Ethiopia
Collaborative assessments with the Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC) to support their efforts to bring improved coffee varieties to farmers in the birthplace of coffee are ongoing.
Final Four: WCR F1 hybrids complete phase 1 trials
Seven years later, the first phase of trials is wrapping up and four high-performing candidates have been identified.
Exploring the wild: cupping diverse arabica accessions
Experiment further characterizes WCR-CATIE Core Collection
World Coffee Research launches Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network
A collaborative network to accelerate climate resilience and secure long-term coffee supplies
2022 in review: annual update from CEO Vern Long
A reflection on what WCR has achieved in the past year and the future of coffee
Photo essay: Indian coffee—a learning journey
In December, a delegation from the World Coffee Research team traveled to Karnataka, India alongside a group of coffee scientists and ACDI/VOCA project staff from the Philippines to participate in an…
Webinar: Innovea—How It Works
An overview of our global arabica breeding network
Where to find us at the Specialty Coffee Association Expo 2023 in Portland
Onstage at Re:Co, Expo lectures, and at our in-person Think + Drink event
World Coffee Research releases new Robusta variety catalog
Resource will support farmers in making informed decisions about varieties
Member companies participate in global GxE cupping experiment
Quality evaluation of International Multilocation Variety Trial samples is underway
World Coffee Research sees robusta on the horizon
As global robusta production increases, WCR is exploring opportunities for robusta R&D
Coffea arabica KASP genetic markers for low-density genotyping
An open-access resource for building rapid coffee variety identification services using SNP markers
Where to find us, September–November 2023
Over the next few months, World Coffee Research will be in Paris, Hanoi, Basel, Tokyo, London, and Costa Rica
Showcasing the Komasti variety for farmers in Indonesia
Demonstration plot program illustrates what Komasti, an Indonesian arabica variety, can do for farmers in the face of climate change
Cultivating scientific exchange in Vietnam: a learning journey
World Coffee Research supports 13 researchers from producing countries to attend ASIC conference, learn about Vietnamese coffee production
Strengthening global robusta production: an update
In 2023, WCR embarked on a journey to begin exploring the opportunities for strengthening global Robusta production through enhanced research and breeding.
Opportunities for robusta variety innovation
Examining current and future trends for robusta supply and demand, as well as existing resources for genetic improvement
2023 in review: annual update from CEO Vern Long
An update on the progress achieved for the coffee industry in 2023
PhilCAFE project concludes, leads evolution of the Philippine coffee industry
Celebrating the progress made through the five-year, USDA-funded project implemented by ACDI/VOCA in partnership with WCR, including the first legal introduction of arabica varieties to the…
Supporting Uganda’s increasing production goals through nursery and seed lot development
World Coffee Research works alongside local partners to generate nursery training materials, host workshops for nursery operators, clean seed lots, and distribute seedlings across growing regions in…
Forging the future of coffee—together
An update on how the Innovea Global Arabica Network is driving change through strategic, global collaboration
Genetically confirmed seed lots
A list of seed lots in the Latin American region confirmed to be producing DNA-verified arabica varieties
Quality Assurance in the Coffee Seed Sector
Technical Report on Seed Sources in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru
First seedlings from the Innovea network transplanted for field evaluation
Global, collaborative breeding network’s performance evaluation phase begins
Evaluating cup quality in global arabica variety trial reveals complex interaction between genetics and environment
Data to aid participating country partners in determining varieties with highest quality potential in specific regions, support demand-led breeding initiatives
WCR welcomes Josué Arevalo Alvarenga, Research Technician for Latin America
A brief profile on the latest addition to our global team
Enhancing access to quality planting material, economic opportunities for coffee producers in Uganda
Training session for arabica nursery operators in Mbale draws 100+ participants, emphasizes importance of traceability and good agricultural practices