World Coffee Research Shares Findings from a New Study

by

Editorial Policy

Published on

Last updated on

A World Coffee Research study traces the history of the Coffea arabica species and found it is likely that C. arabica came from one ancestral plant from 10,000 to 20,000 years ago.

“This means that a single plant, a super-individual, has given birth to the whole C. Arabica species and to the millions of trees that are cultivated today all over the world in the intertropical belt,” says co-author and coffee breeder Benoit Bertrand of CIRAD.

The study was published in Nature Scientific Reports, with the results expected to have “important implications for the future of coffee breeding programs worldwide, which typically seek to exploit genetic diversity to help farmers meet challenges ranging from a changing climate to diseases and pests,” according to World Coffee Research.

Share This Article

Fresh Cup Staff

Join 7,000+ coffee pros and get top stories, deals, and other industry goodies in your inbox each week.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


Other Articles You May Like

Specialty Coffee for the Community: The Central American Cafes Serving Farm-to-Cup Coffee

Historically, coffee traveled from producing countries in the Global South to consuming countries in the Global North. But increasingly, coffee producers are opening cafes that prioritize their own communities—and changing the wider coffee industry…
by Malena Kruger | November 15, 2024

In Central America, Women Coffee Producers Lead the Charge in Battling Climate Change

Four farmers in Central America tackle the realities of climate change head-on, challenging antiquated ideas about coffee and inspiring a wave of sustainable farming practices. 
by Malena Kruger | August 14, 2024

The Moral Complexities of Civet Coffee

Coffee collected from the droppings of civets is sought after by the rich and deplored by animal welfare advocates. Caught in the middle are the farmers who produce it.
by Fionn Pooler | August 7, 2024

Battling Drought: How Climate Change and Dry Conditions Threaten Coffee Production

What happens to coffee when it doesn’t rain enough? In coffee-producing countries worldwide, drought conditions are drying up coffee cherries and threatening production.
by Bhavi Patel | July 3, 2024