World Coffee Research (WCR) Drives Innovation in Climate-Resilient Coffee (2024 Annual Report)
April 19 - 2025
Coffee Geography Magazine
In 2024, World Coffee Research (WCR) backed by 200+ member companies across 29 countries and in collaboration with global partner made significant strides in developing and distributing next-generation, climate-resilient coffee varieties. With a team spanning 16 countries, WCR advanced scientific innovation to improve access to high-quality planting materials, empowering farmers today and for decades to come with the tools they need to sustain their livelihoods.
"Despite historic high coffee prices exposing supply chain vulnerabilities driven by market consolidation and climate shocks—I am more confident than ever in coffee’s future," said Dr. Vern Long, CEO of WCR. "Our collaborative, industry-driven model for variety development will deliver economic benefits for farmers, stabilize export revenues for coffee-producing nations, and ensure a consistent supply of high-quality beans for roasters, retailers, and consumers worldwide."
World Coffee Research CEO Vern Long,
The 2024 Annual Reportdetails WCR’s progress across four core programs:
• Breeding
• Trials
• Nursery Development
• Global Leadership
2024 Global Achievements
1. Advancing Arabica & Robusta Breeding
• Successfully transferred Innovea Arabica genetic materials—the most diverse, high-performing arabica breeding pool ever created—across borders, now growing in 7 countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Kenya, Mexico, Rwanda, Uganda, and the U.S.).
• Launched a groundbreaking speed breeding program for Innovea Arabica, accelerating timelines to deliver elite varieties for commercial testing by 2030.
• Expanded robusta breeding efforts with official partnerships in Vietnam, Uganda, and Ghana (producing 48% of global robusta), ahead of the 2025 Robusta Breeding Network launch.
• Developed 44 robusta cross-combinations (totaling 1,000 unique genotypes via CIRAD-provided material) for evaluation in the robusta network.
2. Scaling Up Trials & Distribution
• Shipped 10,000 seedlings of WCR’s top four F1 hybrid candidates to Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru for large-scale pre-commercial trials (beginning 2025).
• Transitioned the International Multi-location Variety Trial (IMLVT) into a focused 6-year extension at 7 key sites, enabling yield, disease resistance, and quality data collectionpost-pruning.
3. Strengthening Seed Systems & Quality
• Established 20 arabica seed lots (producing 4+ million seedlings annually) in Peru and Uganda, accelerating farmer access to improved varieties.
• Eliminated genetic contamination in Honduras and Guatemala through DNA testing and non-conforming plant removal, ensuring high-quality seed production.
4. Boosting Global Support & Awareness
• Catalyzed increased public R&D funding via USDA and G7 nations, prioritizing genetic improvement and sustainability.
• Launched knowledge resources reaching 222,000 people worldwide.
• Secured $10M in multi-year commitments from 200+ member companies, fueling climate-resilient variety development and farmer deployment.