Key coffee breeding researchers from 10 countries gather in Colombia to drive Innovea’s next phase
December 12 - 2025
Coffee Geography Magazine
Beneath the verdant slopes of the Colombian Andes, a quiet but pivotal assembly for the future of coffee took shape. In Manizales, the hallways and research plots of Cenicafé buzzed with a confluence of accents and expertise, as the Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network convened for a strategic gathering that underscored both the urgency and the unity defining modern coffee agriculture. Researchers and breeders from ten nations, representing a formidable coalition of the world’s coffee-producing regions, came together not merely for discussion, but to forge a coordinated frontline against the existential threats facing the global crop.
The meeting, blending rigorous conference sessions with immersive field work, was built on a foundation of shared vulnerability and shared purpose. Around the table, veterans from programs in Costa Rica, India, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda, and Uganda were joined by first-time participants from Ghana and Vietnam, symbolizing the network’s deliberate and strategic growth. Their dialogues moved beyond theoretical exchange into the granular work of building a standardized, scalable breeding infrastructure. Central to this was the critical work of aligning complex genetic and phenotypic data protocols across continents, ensuring that a coffee plant selected in a trial in Uganda could be meaningfully compared with one in Indonesia. This harmonization is the bedrock upon which accelerated, climate-resilient variety development depends.
Pictured above is Ghanian breeder Dr. Abraham Akpertey with WCR’s Director of Research and Development, Dr. Tania Humphrey. The network now includes national partnerships with 11 countries that together produce 40% of the world’s coffee supply.
A defining announcement solidified the network’s evolving scope: the formal inclusion of robusta coffee into its genetic and breeding programs. This expansion, alongside the official welcoming of Ghana and Vietnam—two powerhouse robusta producers—signaled a recognition that the future of coffee security requires a full-species effort. The network now weaves together a tapestry of eleven countries responsible for forty percent of global supply, marrying the traditional focus on arabica with the heat-tolerant, disease-resistant potential of robusta.
The theoretical work inside was vividly complemented by a full-day expedition to Cenicafé’s renowned El Naranjal research farm. Here, amidst thriving coffee plots, the global delegation engaged in a living laboratory. Colombian phytopathologists detailed their battles against coffee leaf rust, seed-system specialists explained certified seedling production, and quality experts cupped experimental varieties. Participants observed, questioned, and drew parallels to their own national contexts, from the high-altitude arabica farms of Peru to the rising robusta zones of Vietnam. This hands-on exchange highlighted a universal truth: while local challenges differ, the need for scientific resilience is a common language.
The gathering, therefore, transcended a routine technical meeting. It represented a tangible step toward a collective defense system for coffee. Through shared data platforms, joint training in genomic selection, and the integrated study of both major coffee species, these researchers are constructing a global genetic toolkit. Their goal is to empower every participating country to develop locally adapted, farmer-preferred varieties at a pace that outstrips the rapidly changing climate and disease landscapes. As the delegates departed Manizales, they carried with them not only new data and protocols, but reinforced commitment to a singular vision: ensuring the cup of coffee future generations enjoy is born from seeds of shared innovation, planted today.