Sustainability
Helping shape the future of coffee
Jul 30 2026 - 5 MIN READ
Coffee faces increasing challenges from the impacts of climate change, making the development of resilient, high-quality coffee varieties more important than ever.
That’s why we were delighted to take part in a unique coffee cupping event hosted by World Coffee Research (WCR) in El Salvador earlier this year.
Taylors was one of just 15 coffee companies invited to attend, joining experts from around the world to evaluate a new generation of coffee varieties designed to help secure the future of coffee.
A global breeding programme
The first-of-its-kind event was to support the progress of the Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network, an ambitious international programme bringing together researchers, governments, and industry partners across Latin America, Africa and Asia.Its goal is to develop coffee varieties that can better withstand challenges such as climate change and disease while continuing to deliver the quality and flavour that coffee drinkers expect.
The coffees evaluated in El Salvador were the first harvested through Innovea’s arabica breeding programme. Through a series of cupping sessions, participants assessed flavour, aroma and overall cup quality, helping researchers pinpoint varieties that combine great taste with strong field performance. Together, the cuppers brought a combined 215 years of cupping expertise to ensure that the coffee varieties of the future will be excellent not only in the field, but also in the cup.
The insights gathered from the cupping event will be combined with data on yield, disease resistance and climate resilience to help identify the varieties with the greatest potential for coffee-growing communities and the wider industry.
Reflecting on the experience, Frank Tanner, Responsible Sourcing Manager at Taylors, said:
"
Being in El Salvador, cupping brand-new coffee varieties alongside experts from across the global industry, was a fantastic experience. It was a privilege to play a small part in research that could help shape the coffees of the future. I'm excited to see how the programme develops over the coming years.
"A collaborative effort
Innovea was launched by World Coffee Research in 2022 and is supported by more than 200 member companies, including Taylors, and is executed in collaboration with research institutions around the world. Together, they are working to accelerate the development of coffee varieties that will help ensure a sustainable supply of coffee for future generations.
As a long-standing supporter of WCR, we’re proud to contribute to initiatives like this, helping to transform coffee production worldwide and driving innovation to deliver the coffee varieties that will mitigate climate and supply risks while enhancing the livelihoods of farmers.
Find out more about the Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network and World Coffee Research’s work here.
