2017 ASHS Annual Conference

With 2.25 billion cups consumed every day, and 170 billion dollars spent on coffee annually, directly involving 25 million producers and providing the main source of income for an estimated 100 million people worldwide, coffee is one of the world’s most culturally and economically important agricultural commodities. Hawaii produces some of the finest gourmet coffees in the world, mainly due to the tropical environment and the rich volcanic soil, which provide an ideal location for coffee to grow. Yet, despite coffee’s tremendous significance, the industry is facing serious obstacles. It is estimated that world’s production levels must double to meet demand by 2050, yet disease epidemics and climate change effects have reduced the acreage of high-quality coffee around the world just in the last decade alone. Prevalent diseases, climate change issues, narrow genetic diversity are just a few issues badly in need of research. The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is a major pest in most coffee-growing regions around the world and was recently found on Hawaiian coffee farms. These serious threats cause hardship for all who work in the industry, leading to increased poverty, reduced food security and contributing to surges of immigration from Latin America to the United States. At the same time, advancements in sensory analysis allow researchers to identify important molecules in aroma and flavor, making it possible to link sensory attributes to specific qualities traits and field and postharvest methods, which can lead to improved cultural and processing practices, and eventually better quality coffee. The workshop will provide a brief history of coffee as a cultivated crop as well as updates on three main focuses of research and development, including challenges and opportunities in breeding, pest control and sensory analysis.