Supporting the Future of Coffee

We have partnered with World Coffee Research (WCR) to help support the future of coffee.

Who is WCR?

WCR is a non-profit organisation hell-bent on making the coffee industry fully sustainable. Coffee is currently facing a crisis- coffee growers face huge problems with pests such as coffee rust, which significantly reduce production (and therefore income) whilst demand grows. WCR work with farmers to produce agricultural solutions, from small practices such as best fertilising processes to larger projects like creating new disease-resistant varietals.

Why Now?

When compared to other agricultural sectors, relatively speaking coffee is living in the Stone Age. There has been very little research and development done and it is surprising how little is known about the science and optimisation of coffee farming.

Climate change is making growing conditions less favourable for high-quality Arabica and it’s happening much faster than expected. Rises in averages temperatures are effectively pushing ideal growing conditions to higher altitudes, drastically reducing the available growing space for high-quality coffee. Established farms are at risk of only producing low quality coffee in the future.

WCR has already managed to create and replicate several successful hybrids that have excellent pest resistance and cup profile, that are being put to good use on farms that would have been producing low-quality coffee or minimal yields. Farmers need support and practical solutions now, and this is precisely what world coffee research is doing. This is why we have chosen to support them.

How Do We Support the WCR?

Through the Check-Off program, we support their work by contributing money every time we buy green coffee, through participating importers. For more information please visit www.worldcoffeeresearch.org