Brewing A Better Tomorrow
Texas A&M University is redefining the coffee industry, from soil to sip.
Coffee is a commodity that fuels the world and is a source of income for more than 25 million people internationally. According to the National Coffee Association, the coffee industry’s total economic impact in the U.S. alone was $343.2 billion in 2022, responsible for more than 2.2 million jobs.
In 2024, the university created a standalone academic coffee certificate — the first of its kind in the nation. The Coffee Processing and Quality Certificate, offered by the Department of Food Science and Technology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, supports and strengthens one of the world’s most important agricultural industries.
The certificate program offers coursework on coffee production, processing and quality evaluation, emphasizing their connections to various food products. Students learn about technological advances in coffee processing, the genetics of various coffee species, practical alternative uses for coffee components and byproducts and the significance of coffee and other food items in promoting human health and wellness.
Texas A&M students are learning about coffee’s journey from the farm to the cup.
Another course educates students about coffee’s journey from the farm to the cup — perhaps the most complex value chain of any agricultural commodity.
Eric Brenner, assistant director of the Texas A&M Center for Coffee Research and Education, said the program will prepare students for the needs of an evolving industry while learning the importance of having a steady supply of sustainable, quality coffee to meet a growing consumer demand.
We want the students to understand the effort it takes — often under humble and challenging conditions for the small-holder farmer — to produce that cup of coffee they enjoy.
“The students learn everything that goes on behind the scenes in coffee production, including the science and mechanisms for production — all the way to the consumer,” Brenner said. “We want the students to understand the effort it takes — often under humble and challenging conditions for the small-holder farmer — to produce that cup of coffee they enjoy.”
The certificate program expands on Texas A&M’s commitment to elevating and strengthening the coffee supply chain.
In 2016, the Center for Coffee Research and Education was established in response to rapid growth within the specialty coffee industry. As a branch of the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture and Development, the center works to support the coffee value chain worldwide, meeting a need for educating and training the next generation of coffee agronomists, researchers, business leaders and connoisseurs.
Whether it be through advancing business strategy, soil and crop science or supply chain optimization, Texas A&M’s bold leadership in the industry seeks to create a more resilient future for coffee.
Photos courtesy of Sam Craft and Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife
