Cuddle develops innovations based on data analysis and artificial intelligence aimed at breeding climate-resilient plants in ecologically threatened landscapes.
As climate change limits the amount of land available for growing weather-resistant coffee plants, Nestlé plant scientists turned to data science to better identify the combination of factors that will produce a well crop.
Using artificial intelligence, the company scans a publicly available digital database of coffee characteristics, including berry size, flavor and aroma characteristics, and yield, to create more sustainable coffee farming and plant more disease- and drought-resistant beans.
“Put simply, our recent reference point is like a high-quality map of a gigantic city. It will lend a hand us identify key genetic markers in the Arabica genome that drive specific traits in adult plants,” Jeroen Dijkman, head of Nestlé’s Institute of Agricultural Sciences, said in a statement. “This will lend a hand our plant scientists and other experts better identify, select and breed recent and improved varieties of Arabica coffee.”
Genome sequencing of Arabica coffee strains
The company focused on Arabica because it accounts for 70% of the world’s coffee production out of 120 species. But that presented a challenge because it is more susceptible to disease and has a lower tolerance for heat, making it arduous to plant successfully in the face of water shortages and shrinking arable land.
The company sought a solution to this problem in collaboration with the French National Institute for Sustainable Development and academic partners, members of a global consortium.
Patrick Descombes, co-author of the study and senior genomics expert at Nestlé Research, said the company used cutting-edge genomic approaches to create an advanced, complete and continuous Arabica coffee reference variety.
The initiative is part of Nestlé’s Regenerative Agriculture Plan, Nescafé 2030 Plan.
The coffee segment continues to grow. According to Circan’s research, coffee has overtaken tea (+4%) and soda (+3%) in year-over-year portion growth, making it one of the fastest-growing beverage categories in the world.
Nestlé says coffee is part of five growth platforms that account for 50% of its revenue. In powdered and liquid beverages, coffee sales grew at high single-digit rates, according to a recent investor call.
The company’s coffee brands include Nescafe, Nespresso, Dolce Gusto, Starbucks Coffee at Home and Blue Bottle Coffee.
