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WCR and Cornell University Leading $5 Million Coffee Breeding Project

coffee breeding

With $5 million from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Coffee Research (WCR) and Cornell University are embarking on a project focused on coffee breeding.

Called The Coffee Improvement Program, the five-year initiative will involve the development of tools to increase the speed and precision of coffee breeding, the delivery of tools and training to national coffee breeding programs in coffee-producing countries, plus a case study exploring coffee seed systems globally.

“Limited access to high-quality seeds and plants is one of the primary challenges coffee farmers face worldwide, and a critical limitation in ensuring that newer and better varieties reach farmers,” World Coffee Research said in an announcement of the program. “A focused effort will create a tool to assess seed supply and demand dynamics, ensuring inclusive access to high-quality planting material for smallholder farmers.”


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An underlying goal of the program is to generate long-term support for the world’s approximately 12.5 million smallholder coffee farmers — who produce approximately 60% of the world’s coffee — as they face climate change, aging crops, increased pests and disease, increased production costs, market volatility and more.

The Coffee Improvement Program will be led by WCR and Cornell’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement (ILCI). The ILCI recently received its second $25 million grant from USAID for the development of crop-agnostic tools and technologies to be used in public breeding programs. The $5 million coffee program is also part of a larger $57 million commitment from USAID to fund agricultural innovation to reduce food insecurity and poverty.

“Coffee is an integral part of the global economy, employing 2.2 million Americans and contributing $343 billion to the U.S. economy alone. Ensuring the resilience of coffee smallholders is essential for both local economies and global supply chains,” WCR CEO Vern Long said in the announcement. “This collaboration with Cornell and the Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement will accelerate the development of the next generation of coffee varieties, benefiting both smallholder farmers and the coffee industry.”


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