A Field Guide to Mesoamerican Coffee Genetics
World Coffee Research has published a reference covering 34 varieties grown across Central America and the Caribbean, with print and digital editions designed to support replanting decisions.
By Rowan Hayes2 min read
A Reference Born From a Replanting Crisis
At the Re:co Dublin gathering, World Coffee Research (WCR) introduced a reference work titled Coffee Varieties of Mesoamerica and the Caribbean. Its purpose is to give growers clearer insight into the varieties within their reach — how those plants differ from one another and how they measure up on a range of performance indicators.
The project grew out of the coffee leaf rust outbreak of 2012, which damaged close to 600,000 acres of farmland in Central America. An estimated 300,000 growers found themselves needing to replant, and those growers also needed reliable guidance to make sound choices as they rebuilt their operations.
Choosing a plant without solid information is a serious problem, particularly with threats like rust in play. Growers have lacked the means to determine whether a variety carries rust resistance, what quality it might deliver, or whether it suits the altitude where they farm. And unlike many other cash crops, this is a decision that can shape a farm for decades. Seeing how little dependable information was reaching Central American growers, WCR set out to assemble a body of reference material they could use when selecting plants.
What the Catalog Covers
The catalog profiles 34 of the region's most widespread and most significant varieties. Each entry addresses the plant's history, its genetic background and parentage, its yield potential, and how vulnerable it is to disease. Entries also cover plant height, bean size, leaf-tip color, nutritional needs, planting density, and additional traits. Icons and color scales make it simpler to compare varieties side by side, so the catalog is approachable and practical to use.
A Spanish-language print run of roughly 10,000 copies will be distributed across Central American countries to técnicos, nursery managers, and other recipients. A PDF edition, in both English and Spanish, will be offered on the WCR website.
A sample page from the catalog, accessible via the WCR website.
By helping growers work out which coffee suits their particular conditions, Coffee Varieties of Mesoamerica and the Caribbean delivers information they urgently need. Sound planting choices lower the risk of disease and pests while raising the odds that the resulting cup reaches the highest quality possible. With this information in hand, growers are better positioned to provide for the generations that follow.
Companion Online Tool
An interactive website sits alongside the catalog. Visitors can browse varieties or apply filters to narrow the list to plants that fit their requirements. Every variety appears on a clickable card presenting the same details found in the catalog. The filters let users sort by altitude, quality potential at high altitude, plant height, and susceptibility to leaf rust. (WCR brought in Oof design studio to make the catalog easy to navigate.)
The PDF can be downloaded at no cost from the WCR website. It was released under a creative commons license to encourage broad use and sharing. Importers, roasters, non-governmental organizations, and other groups working with growers are invited to download and distribute it.
