FORGING THE FUTURE OF COFFEE, ONE INNOVATION AT A TIME
Special feature on Sustainability
Insight from World Coffee Research
All images - Credit to World Coffee Research
As global demand for coffee soars, coffee farmers and producing countries are struggling to keep up in the face of climate change. To change this trajectory, innovation, such as variety innovation, should be funded collaboratively through initiatives such as World Coffee Researh.
Coffee is the world’s most in-demand beverage, and its popularity is only rising. In the last year alone, 177 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee were consumed worldwide – a 2.2% increase from the 2022-23 production year and a 4.5% jump from 2019-20.* Even so, coffee’s future is somewhat precarious. As global demand soars, coffee farmers and producing countries are struggling to keep up in the face of climate change.
The looming climate crisis poses an existential threat to the world’s coffee farmers, consumers, and businesses alike. While it’s difficult for most to imagine a world devoid of a morning cup, it is projected that, over the next few years, climatic shifts will lead to reduced quality of coffee, decreased productivity of farms, and increased economic vulnerability of farmers.
But, as an agricultural scientist, I am certain that innovation can alter this trajectory and forge a brighter, more sustainable future for coffee.
Extreme weather events are already driving losses to crop yields globally. Even the world’s top coffee-producing countries are facing challenges.
For instance, in March 2024, Vietnam’s agriculture department projected that its national coffee production this year could drop by nearly 20% due to drought, and in April, coffee prices surged on the heels of a heavy rainfall event in Minas Gerais, Brazil that will undoubtedly affect the country’s coming harvest year and supply.
As weather becomes more erratic, unpredictable, and hot, coffee – which is often referred to as a “Goldilocks” crop due to its dependency on specific growing conditions like mid-to-high elevation, defined dry and rainy seasons and moderate, stable temperatures – will inevitably suffer without targeted intervention. It’s also likely that climate disruptions will increase the susceptibility of coffee to diseases and pests. The combination of these impacts will accelerate farmers shifting away from coffee growing and toward other crops, resulting in consolidation of production and loss of origin diversity.
At World Coffee Research (WCR), we recognize that agricultural research and development (R&D) has been a precondition for the economic sustainability of farming for most crops for many hundreds of years, as introducing new tools, technology, and knowledge can support producers in overcoming obstacles to productivity and drive lasting change.
Coffee farmers and producing countries are struggling to keep up in the face of climate change.
There have been many examples of successful innovations in agriculture where R&D has led to more sustainable production practices and generated improved varieties.
For instance, in recent years, apple farmers across the United States have started to see a higher prevalence of fireblight**, a major bacterial disease that destroys trees and their fruit. While fireblight has been historically managed through the application of antibiotics and chemical sprays, the disease is becoming resistant to this treatment, which is already costly and can be harmful to the environment. Apple farmers and agricultural scientists alike are working on solutions to meet this challenge to production, including agronomic management practices, though many acknowledge that breeding for disease resistance is the most promising approach*** to sustain apple growing for the long term. It’s clear that, to achieve optimal agricultural production, farmers need the complete package of tools at their disposal— including the implementation of the best agricultural practices and the right varieties.
Variety innovation in coffee gives many of us hope. It’s clear that when a farmer has access to a better, more productive variety suited to a particular growing environment, they achieve greater productivity, improved climate resilience, and can help reduce GHG emissions and deforestation. Varieties are the key focus of WCR’s R&D agenda and will be a major driver of increased supply and quality, ensuring we can meet future demand while also safeguarding natural resources. Through breeding, variety trials, and work to support the nursery and seed sector, our aim is to increase the availability and access of better plants—adapted to the climate of the future—for farmers.
Agricultural research for coffee lags tremendously behind many other crops with similar economic impact, and there is a significant need for greater investment in innovation to preserve origin diversity and support farmers in the near and long-term.
WCR has stepped in to enable the global coffee industry and to invest in this type of innovation, allowing roasters, retailers, importers, and others that are typically competitors, to come together around a shared vision.
Through this collaborative funding for R&D, in combination with robust government support from countries across the world, WCR is optimistic that a flourishing future for coffee is possible and well within reach—and the world’s leading coffee companies, like Finlays, are driving the agricultural science solutions needed to forge a path to a continued supply of high-quality coffee for generations to come.
Dr. Tania Humphrey is the Director of R&D at World Coffee Research and oversees its research portfolio. She holds a Ph.D. in plant science from the University of Queensland, Australia, and has held positions at the University of Toronto, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, and Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
World Coffee Research is an industry-driven nonprofit organization uniting 170+ companies from around the world to pre-competitively invest in agricultural research and innovation for coffee. Learn more and explore membership options at worldcoffeeresearch.org.
Sources
* International Coffee Organization, Coffee Market Report, April 2024. https://www.icocoffee.org/documents/cy2023-24/ cmr-0424-e.pdf.** The New York Times, Jim Robbins. Fire Blight Spreads Northward, Threatening Apple Orchards, December 2019.*** Kostick, Sarah & Teh, Soon Li & Evans, Kate. (2021). Contributions of Reduced Susceptibility Alleles in Breeding Apple Cultivars with Durable Resistance to Fire Blight. Plants. 10. 409. 10.3390/plants10020409.
