Coffee, one of the top traded commodities worldwide, is especially important as an export crop to developing countries, where 90 percent of the word's coffee production takes place.
Coffee growers are facing increasing challenges due to pests, diseases and changing weather patterns, which many experts fear will dramatically reduce future coffee production. But advances in farming methods based on geographic information systems (GIS) and the recent sequencing of coffee genomes could help the industry increase production and improve the quality of coffee crops.
Joining us to discuss the coffee industry and recent challenges and changes to growing and processing coffee beans is Professor Emeritus and Owner of the . Dr. Thurston also edited the book, .