I've poked around but couldn't find solid information. Is coffee improvement done in mostly the private or public sector? Are there gene edited coffee varieties for commerical?
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It's an interesting topic. Genetic modification seems not to be a commercially viable approach to creating new coffee varieties. Of course it is reasonable to ask the question, but here is a statement from the National Coffee Association, which says in part:
Are there GMOs in my coffee?
No, the NCA is not aware of any GMO coffee in the marketplace.
The tabloid news site DailyMail.co.uk carried a report last year (Sept. 27, 2021) about a "first ever genetically-engineered coffee", but the substance of the story concerns "coffee cells [produced] in a bioreactor through cellular agriculture," not genetic modification per se.
A more relevant story appeared in Jan. 2018 on Daily Coffee News by roast Magazine:
Although there is widespread consumer opposition to genetically modified foods and beverages, the scientific community does not share that opposition. And in light of the dire outlook for the future of coffee cultivation in the coming decades, it seems clear we must understand and embrace research that includes genetic engineering as a potential tool in the fight to save coffee.
Even though currently there is no genetically engineered coffee available for commercial production, Jason Long, CEO of Cafe Imports, says, “The anti-GMO thing was just a bully pulpit, basically trying to get it out there. To me, it was to bring up and highlight the labeling issue.”
Still the prospect seems to be Clouds in my Coffee.