For 25 years Time Magazine exhibited List of the best inventions of the timean annual collection of 300 modern ideas and innovations that can change the world. Inventions could be anything from a roller coaster to a sprinkler system to an AI detector for teachers. And this year List of the best inventions of the time honors one such initiative in the world of coffee, the company Innovea’s global coffee breeding network By World coffee research.
We first wrote about Innovea in 2022 when it first launched. By connecting 11 different coffee-producing countries to share information on coffee growing, Innovea is accelerating the pace of genetic improvements in coffee plants. Through this initiative, WCR has created a global repository of genetic information that government-affiliated research institutions can draw from to create modern, more resistant coffee varieties. And when one emerges, the producing country can share its findings with the rest of its cohorts. And now Time appreciates WCR for it.
“We are honored that TIME has recognized Innovea as a transformative force for the global coffee sector,” states WCR CEO Dr. Jennifer Long. “We share this award with 11 partners around the world who make up this unprecedented network of collaborations and who together produce over 40% of the world’s coffee.”
Participating countries include Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda, Uganda, USA and Vietnam. Nine of them have already started breeding trials to find modern varieties resistant to rust and climatic conditions. It will take another 12 years to reach commercial viability for farmers, but that is much faster than would be possible if countries took on the task alone.
I may be biased, but I would argue that Innovea is one of the most critical honorees on this year’s Best Inventions list. Coffee is more than just a drink, it is the source of livelihood for literally hundreds of millions of people around the world. And securing its future against existential threats is a step towards securing their future as well.
To see the full list of honorees, visit Time magazine official website.
