Wednesday, November 10, 2021
5:00 to 6:00 pm - Online, Registration Link
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The Science and Culture of Coffee by Dr. Sarada Krishnan

Coffee is an important agricultural commodity contributing significantly to the economies of many developing countries. Of the 124 species of Coffea, the two main commercial species used in the production of the beverage are C. arabica (Arabica coffee) and C. canephora (robusta coffee). Arabica coffee accounts for about 60% of the total coffee production. Sarada will talk about the botany and production of coffee and the research she has been involved in.

Dr. Sarada Krishnan is Director of Horticulture and Center for Global Initiatives at Denver Botanic Gardens where she is responsible for directing the design and maintenance of the horticulture displays and collections, and for developing and leading global projects. She has several years of experience in public and commercial horticulture. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from India, where the focus was on tropical horticulture. She has a Master of Science degree in Horticulture from Colorado State University, with a research focus on the propagation of native Colorado flora specializing in plant tissue culture. Her doctorate research at University of Colorado, Boulder, focused on the conservation genetics of wild coffee (Coffea spp.) in Madagascar. Sarada owns coffee plantations in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica.

Sarada also serves as the Executive Director of International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA). The mission of IWCA is to empower women along the entire coffee supply chain through programs and partnerships in the international coffee community to achieve meaningful and sustainable lives.

In 2016/2017, Sarada was involved in developing the Global Strategy for the Conservation of Coffee Genetic Resources in collaboration with the Global Crop Diversity Trust and World Coffee Research. The main goal of the Strategy is to ensure the conservation and use of coffee genetic resources for a positive, sustainable future of the crop and for those dependent on coffee for a livelihood.

Sarada has served on several local, national and international boards and committees. She is a faculty affiliate with Colorado State University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and a member of the Board of Directors of Plant Select®, a collaborative plant introduction program between Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University and the green industry of Colorado. She serves on the USDA National Genetic Resources Advisory Council and is the chair of USDA’s Coffee and Cacao Crop Germplasm Committee. She is on the board of Women Frist International Fund, a nonprofit organization providing small grants for grassroots projects that empower women and girls in developing countries. She has published numerous papers and chapters on coffee genetic resources, botanic gardens and sustainable agriculture in peer reviewed journals and books.