The Texas A&M Center for Coffee Research and Education at Texas A&M University in College Station was recently recognized by GradSchoolCenter.com as one of the top 20 graduate research centers “making a real difference.”
GradSchoolCenter.com was created to help students seeking higher education choose the graduate degree and institution that is best for them.
“We are grateful for this recognition of the Coffee Research and Education Center,” said Dr. Roger Norton, Bryan-College Station Center Director. “We strive to support smallholder farmers in coffee-producing countries and meet the research needs of the coffee industry through on-the-ground projects and research into important issues along the coffee value chain from producer to consumer. I am.”
Norton said the company also offers training for people interested in coffee and coffee-related jobs and is continually expanding its educational efforts.
This year, the center is working with universities to establish a new coffee certificate program, which will be the first coffee degree in the United States.
About Coffee Research and Education Center
The center is located on the Texas A&M campus within the Norman Borlaug International Agricultural Research Institute, and its mission is related to the Borlaug Institute because coffee is a major production crop in developing countries.
Norton, who also serves as the Borlaug Institute's regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said much of the center's work is done in collaboration with the institute.
He said the center also receives support from partners in the coffee industry and continues to further develop relationships with industry players.
“The livelihoods of coffee farmers and those along the coffee supply chain face a variety of challenges related to climate change, disease and pests, low yields, low prices, and quality barriers,” Bryan College Center said Assistant Director Eric Brenner. station. “We work with coffee farmers and industry partners to find sustainable solutions that enable both the coffee supply and coffee farmers to thrive.”
Brenner said the center's efforts support the rapidly growing specialty coffee industry by providing training and education to the next generation of coffee agronomists, business leaders, researchers and consumers. .
“Our goal is to help build a pipeline of experts in all areas of the coffee industry, people who can apply their expertise to each link of the coffee value chain,” he said.
How the center will benefit small-scale coffee farmers
The Coffee Research and Education Center aims to improve the lives of smallholder coffee farmers in the world's most important coffee producing regions, including Latin America and Africa.
“At the Center, we are continually developing initiatives to improve the quality and supply of coffee around the world through research and capacity development,” Brenner said. “The center's efforts, such as identifying and developing coffee plants that are more resistant to disease and pests and have higher yields, could benefit many smallholder farmers around the world.”
Educational initiatives by the center also support smallholder farmers. These include introducing new coffee genotypes, showing how to market products more effectively, and showing how new technologies and practices can improve operational efficiency. .
“We approach education from both the coffee farmer and consumer perspective,” Brenner said. “The center's efforts also include educating consumers about the differences between coffees and highlighting the better aroma, flavor and quality of specialty and premium coffees. By helping them produce coffee, they end up getting a higher price for their coffee and increasing their profitability.”
Recently, Brenner took a group of Texas A&M students on a study abroad program to Costa Rica to see first-hand the challenges and opportunities for the country's small coffee farmers.
“Wherever possible, as part of our educational efforts, we believe it is important to give young people interested in the coffee industry the opportunity to meet and learn first-hand from people involved in different aspects of the coffee industry,” he said. .
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