May 15, 2026 |
4 min read
Dr. Jennifer “Vern” Long, CEO of World Coffee Research, said in two simultaneous messages – one in the organization’s annual report and another in an Instagram video – that “the best coffee in the world hasn’t been grown yet. It’s coming soon.” She confirmed that the innovative “coopetition” model between competing companies and governments has produced elite coffee genetics now growing in research fields on 4 continents.
In her annual report message, Long explained that WCR’s member companies built something unprecedented when they created World Coffee Research – a global collaborative organization that is creating the genetic infrastructure of the 200 billion dollar coffee industry. Genetics are the foundation of coffee’s future, she said, and the next generation of climate-resilient, high-quality varieties advancing through this system will expand what coffee agriculture can deliver.
Long described WCR’s collaborative networked nature as unparalleled. Governments that historically did not share directly with each other contributed their unique genetics and scientific knowhow to a single shared pool. Companies that compete in the marketplace banded together and contributed patient capital to drive the work forward, understanding that tree breeding operates on 10 to 15 year cycles. This coopetition model has delivered: elite genetics are now in research fields on 4 continents.
Regarding next steps, Long said WCR will explore what it takes to scale up and deploy these trees to farmers’ fields. The organization will continue innovating, using the same collaborative spirit that built the global genetics pipeline to design a model capable of ensuring last-mile distribution to farmers and sustaining research in perpetuity. “Better plants are coming. We’ll be ready,” she concluded.
In a separate Instagram video featuring Long’s voice, she said WCR continued in 2025 to create the future of coffee by uniting the global coffee industry to drive science-based agricultural solutions. “The future of coffee is arriving. The entire coffee sector is built from the harvest of the plant itself. When we get the plant right, everything else multiplies,” she said.
Long highlighted WCR’s work areas including coffee breeding networks, trial sites, improved seed systems, and global leadership programs. She invited the public to explore the report’s highlights and be part of WCR’s ongoing effort to create the future of coffee.
“The best coffee in the world hasn’t been grown yet. It’s coming soon. Our members and partners make it happen, and will help us define what comes next.”
— Dr. Vern Long, CEO of World Coffee Research
