Coffee researcher spills the beans on new varieties being bred

By Ko Dong-hwan

The world needs more new varieties of coffee beans so that bean farmers and producers can make more profit and the market does not get monopolised by a few coffee-producing countries or roasters that offer limited choices, according to the head of World Coffee Research (WCR).

Jennifer “Vern” Long, chief executive of WCR, a United States-based global organisation dedicated to agricultural innovation for coffee supply, sees this as concerning national governments, coffee companies and consumers. She stresses the mission needs all their efforts to raise awareness and execute scientific research for new coffee varieties.

The funding will help these nations conduct research on new coffee varieties, with the goal of introducing them by 2030.