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The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will lead a new U.S. State Department-funded Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Coffee and Cacao, with an initial $8 million obligation for its first year. The multi-institution program will study crop resilience, farming and processing, but its specific overseas research sites and projects have not yet been announced.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will lead a new federally funded research program on coffee and cacao, backed by an initial $8 million obligation for its first year. The U.S. State Department-funded Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Coffee and Cacao could operate for up to five years and will bring together universities, research organizations and industry partners to address crop and production challenges.
The program is a multi-institution research effort, not a new standalone laboratory building. Clemson University will co-direct it, and its research is expected to span coffee- and cacao-producing regions in the United States, Latin America, Africa and Asia. The agreement could run for as long as five years; the source report identifies the first-year funding obligation but does not detail later-year amounts.
Planned work includes breeding coffee and cacao varieties with stronger disease and drought resistance, along with research on farm management and post-harvest processing. The program also intends to build research capacity in producing countries. Its economic research is expected to help governments judge where agricultural research funding could have the greatest impact, according to the program description reported by Daily Coffee News.
Partners include World Coffee Research and the Coffee Quality Institute, as well as UC Davis, Michigan State University, Ohio State University and Penn State. Mars, PlantVillage+ and the Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council are also participating. UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience Dean Parwinder Grewal is the principal investigator.
Research Targets Crop Risks
The research addresses threats that affect both farm output and the quality and diversity of coffee and cacao. Disease, drought and climate pressures can reduce harvests and complicate farmers’ decisions about which crops to grow. Research into crop varieties, farm practices and processing could offer practical options, although the program has not yet published particular projects or outcomes.
The investment also matters to Hawaiʻi’s coffee sector. Coffee leaf rust, first detected in the state in 2020, has since spread across Hawaiʻi, while coffee berry borer remains another crop threat. The Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council estimates production at 20.7 million pounds for the 2025–26 season, down from 23.3 million pounds in 2023–24. The council says production has declined each year since 2022 and attributes much of the fall to leaf rust; that attribution is the organization’s assessment.
For producing countries beyond Hawaiʻi, the planned work could connect scientific research with local institutions and public investment decisions. The program’s geographic scope and stated focus on research capacity indicate an international role, but the locations and beneficiaries of individual projects remain unannounced.
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A New Federal Research Framework
The launch follows years of advocacy for greater U.S. public investment in coffee and cacao agricultural research. The Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council says its administrator, Suzanne Shriner, and World Coffee Research began making the case to members of Congress in 2020. In 2023, the council, World Coffee Research, the National Coffee Association and the Hawaiʻi Coffee Association supported federal legislation intended to expand funding for coffee plant-health research.
The new lab also comes after a disruption to the federal Feed the Future research system. Its university innovation labs had historically received funding through USAID, which was dismantled in 2025 under the Trump administration, according to the source report. Before the shutdown, USAID had awarded Cornell a five-year cooperative agreement valued at $5.485 million for a Coffee Improvement Program with World Coffee Research. Federal award records cited by Daily Coffee News show $1 million had been obligated before that award was terminated in 2025.
On October 15, the State Department announced eight Feed the Future Innovation Labs at U.S. universities. The coffee and cacao program is one of them; the others address areas including cereals, soil fertility, animal health, peanuts and aquaculture. Hawaiʻi is the only U.S. state that commercially produces both coffee and cacao, giving the lead institution a direct connection to both crops.
“The Innovation Lab is designed to transform coffee and cacao science into practical benefits for small farmers in Hawaii, the continental U.S., and around the world.”
— Parwinder Grewal, UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience dean and principal investigator
Sites and Projects Await Detail
Specific research sites and individual projects in producing countries have not been announced. The source report also does not provide a breakdown of how the first-year $8 million will be allocated, identify later-year funding levels, or give a detailed schedule for project milestones. The program’s stated research priorities are known, but the precise varieties, farms and interventions to be studied remain unclear.
The expected benefits are goals rather than demonstrated results. The available information does not establish how quickly new crop varieties or farm practices might reach growers, or how much they could offset disease, drought and other pressures. The program’s full duration also depends on an agreement described as capable of running for up to five years.
Projects Begin This Month
The Coffee and Cacao Innovation Lab is launching in October 2026, following the State Department’s October 15 announcement of the eight university-led Feed the Future programs. As the lab begins work, partners are expected to develop and carry out research under its priorities in crop breeding, farm management, processing and research capacity.
The next public details to watch for are the named research sites, individual projects, participating local institutions and funding plans beyond the first-year obligation. Those details will show how the broad international program is put into practice and how its work connects with coffee and cacao producers.
Key Questions
What is the new Coffee and Cacao Innovation Lab?
It is a federally funded, multi-institution research program led by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and co-directed by Clemson University. It is not a single new laboratory facility.
How much funding has been committed?
The program has an initial $8 million obligation for its first year. Its agreement could run for up to five years, but the source report does not specify funding amounts for later years.
What research will the program conduct?
Priorities include breeding coffee and cacao for greater disease and drought resistance, studying farm management and post-harvest processing, and building research capacity in producing countries. Economic research is also planned to inform public agricultural investment decisions.
Where will the research take place?
The program is expected to cover producing regions in the United States, Latin America, Africa and Asia. Specific country sites and individual projects have not yet been announced.
Why is Hawaiʻi involved?
Hawaiʻi is the only U.S. state that commercially produces both coffee and cacao. The state also faces coffee threats including leaf rust, first detected there in 2020, and coffee berry borer.
Source: rss
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