CQI CEO Renews Call for Industry-Led ‘World Coffee Development’ Agency Amid USAID Cuts
Michael Sheridan, CEO of the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), has reiterated his call for the creation of World Coffee Development, an industry-funded global agency aimed at strengthening local development in coffee-producing communities. His renewed appeal follows the recent announcement of a $40 billion disinvestment in U.S. overseas development assistance and the effective termination of USAID operations.
In a post published on CQI’s official website, Sheridan highlighted the long-standing governance gap in the global coffee sector, particularly in moments of crisis, and the need for an institutional response that mirrors the structure and success of World Coffee Research (WCR)—but focused on community-level investment and development rather than breeding and genetics.
The concept of World Coffee Development was first introduced by Sheridan more than a decade ago, prompted by the outbreak of coffee leaf rust (CLR) in Central America during the 2012/13 crop cycle. At the time, the absence of an industry-backed agency to coordinate an emergency response underscored a significant vulnerability in the sector’s structure.
In his article, Sheridan draws a comparison with Colombia, which responded effectively to its own coffee leaf rust outbreak in 2008. Thanks to decades of early investment in institutions like the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros and the Cenicafé research center, Colombia had already laid the foundation for a coordinated sectoral response. This allowed for the rapid replacement of susceptible coffee varieties with rust-resistant cultivars and support for farmers throughout the transition.
“Colombia began its response in 1927,” Sheridan wrote, emphasizing the need for long-term vision and infrastructure. “The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago. The second-best time is right now.”
Sheridan warned that the recent USAID cuts could further expose the sector to future disruptions without a sustainable, coordinated funding mechanism in place. “No industry will be more impacted than coffee,” he noted, estimating that USAID invested hundreds of millions of dollars into coffee farms and farmer enterprises over the past 40 years.
“The giant sucking sound in Washington caused by a $40B disinvestment in overseas development assistance has served as a painful reminder that we still don’t have (and could still use) an industry-funded organization that can articulate sector-wide priorities, provide seed funding, and coordinate investment,” he said.
With USAID historically playing a key role in supporting coffee development, particularly during the 2012/13 leaf rust crisis, its withdrawal leaves a gap that, Sheridan argues, only an industry-wide mechanism can fill.
He concludes by asking whether the current moment — marked by rising global challenges, weakening development institutions, and increasing market volatility — is the right time to finally launch World Coffee Development.
