World Coffee Research
Jennifer "Vern" Long is the CEO of World Coffee Research since June 2019, spearheading global initiatives to improve coffee quality, productivity, and sustainability for farmers worldwide. Prior to this role, Jennifer served as the Director of the Office of Agricultural Research & Policy at USAID from January 2011 to May 2019, overseeing a team of over 30 experts and managing significant investments in agricultural research and policy development. Jennifer's extensive background includes roles such as Senior Research Advisor at USAID, Visiting Assistant Research Professor at the University of Illinois - Chicago, and a Fulbright Senior Scholar, with a focus on food security, genetic resources policy, and nutrition research. Educational credentials include a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding & Genetics from Cornell University and a Postdoctoral fellowship in International Nutrition from UCLA.
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World Coffee Research
World Coffee Research (WCR) is a 501 (c)(5) non-profit, collaborative research and development program of the global coffee industry to grow, protect, and enhance supplies of quality coffee while improving the livelihood of the families who produce it. WCR works to create a toolbox of coffee varieties, genetic resources and accompanying technologies and to disseminate them strategically and collaboratively in producing countries to alleviate constraints to the supply chain of high quality coffee. We have research trials and projects underway in 30+ countries, all of which are designed to deliver higher quality coffee, more productive coffee farms, and more sustainable livelihoods for coffee farmers. Most of our research is conducted in the places where coffee is grown. We conduct our work in partnership with leading research institutes, governmental bodies, and coffee organizations from around the world, including the Specialty Coffee Associations of America and Europe (SCAA/SCAE), the International Coffee Organization (ICO), the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), Texas A&M University and the Borlag Institute, and among others. To ensure maximum on-the-ground impact, we also partner closely with local research institutions, coffee organizations, governments, NGOs, and the private sector. WCR's American headquarters is in Portland, OR with satellite offices in Marseille, France, and Santa Ana, El Salvador, where we also operate a research farm. WCR is funded through direct contributions from coffee industry stakeholders. Additional funding also comes from foundations, development organizations, and scientific research granting agencies. Twitter @WCoffeeResearch Facebook /worldcoffeeresearch Instagram /wcoffeeresearch For more information, contact info@worldcoffeeresearch.org