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c Catch Up

What Google Learned From Its Experiments in Virtual
Reality Barista Training

A considerable investment in training is important for almost any
company. Especially for specialty coffee companies, where training
and experience play a big role in making a great cup of coffee. Yet the
equipment, space and time for so much training can be challenging to
obtain as there can be not one barista in need of training, but 2,3,4 etc..
Could virtual reality be a solution? Providing a great opportunity for
everyone to learn almost anything “hands on”.
Recently, researchers and developers in Google’s Daydream
Labs, the tech giant’s VR department, built a virtual model for how
to prepare a shot of espresso using professional equipment to see if
newcomers to the task were better able to learn it from VR as opposed
to watching videos about it on YouTube. Google VR Software Engineer
Ian MacGillivray reported that while neither group made great coffee,
the VR group did at least learn the process more expediently. vr.google.com/daydream

Global Coffee Conservation Strategy published

Despite challenges, world coffee production has grown steadily over the
past 50 years, though it will be difficult to maintain this trend due to contin-
ued rise in production costs, as well as problems related to negative impacts
of climate change and higher incidence of pests and diseases.
In an effort to meet these challenges, World Coffee Research has part-
nered with The Crop Trust to develop the Global Conservation Strategy
for Coffee Genetic Resources. The goal of this Global Strategy is to ensure the conservation and use of coffee genetic
resources for a positive, sustainable future of the crop and for those who depend on coffee for a livelihood.

worldcoffeeresearch.org

Coffee Prices Increase as Concerns about Brazil’s

2017/18 Crop Emerge

A partnership between the 72-year-old faith-
driven humanitarian nonprofit Lutheran World Relief
and Atlanta-based roasting company Thrive Farmers
has resulted in the launch of a new farmer-forward
coffee lineup under LWR’s name. LWR Farmers Market
Coffee was sourced through Thrive’s “farmer-direct”
model, which attempts to place farmers at a more markets that give them a stable, yet profitable
economically advantageous point in the supply chain price,” Peyser said in an announcement of the
by guaranteeing an up-front price followed by a fixed LWR Farmers Market Coffee launch. “This part-
percentage of the revenue generated for their coffee nership meets this challenge, while providing
through its final sale to Thrive, bypassing the com- consumers the opportunity to directly support
modities market entirely. “One of the greatest prob- farmers through their informed purchases of
lems facing coffee farmers is their ability to access high-quality coffee.”

lwr.org

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