Shah Millions of coffee farmers in the developing world who are already struggling in a market of dwindling returns face a new threat, that of genetically modified beans. Researchers at the University of Hawaii have created the means to industrialise coffee production to an extent that until now has been impossible.
Mechanical harvesting produces poor quality coffee, a mixture offripe and unripe berries.
The researchers have genetically engineered coffee so that the berries' growth stops just short of the point of maturity. When all the berries in a field have reached this stage, they are ripened by a chemical sprayed onto the plants, allowing all the berries to be harvested at once, mechanically. In 1999, the University of Hawaii was granted a US patent on GM coffee. The charity's message is that the development of GM coffee is at an early stage and could be stopped if consumers put pressure on supermarkets. There's no need for GM coffee.