Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee genetic resources reflect the crop's regional and global history

Societal Impact Statement Despite strong historical declines, Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee sectors remain important to rural communities' livelihood and resilience. Coffee also holds value as part of the islands' historical legacy and cultural identities. Furthermore, it is often gro...

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Main Authors: Claude Patrick Millet, Boris Delahaie, Frédéric Georget, Clémentine Allinne, William Solano‐Sánchez, Dapeng Zhang, Wesly Jeune, Lucile Toniutti, Valérie Poncet
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-01-01
Series:Plants, People, Planet
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10584
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author Claude Patrick Millet
Boris Delahaie
Frédéric Georget
Clémentine Allinne
William Solano‐Sánchez
Dapeng Zhang
Wesly Jeune
Lucile Toniutti
Valérie Poncet
author_facet Claude Patrick Millet
Boris Delahaie
Frédéric Georget
Clémentine Allinne
William Solano‐Sánchez
Dapeng Zhang
Wesly Jeune
Lucile Toniutti
Valérie Poncet
author_sort Claude Patrick Millet
collection DOAJ
description Societal Impact Statement Despite strong historical declines, Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee sectors remain important to rural communities' livelihood and resilience. Coffee also holds value as part of the islands' historical legacy and cultural identities. Furthermore, it is often grown in agroforestry systems providing important ecosystem services, which will become more important as these vulnerable islands work to adapt to a changing climate. Current efforts to revitalize coffee farms and target strategically important specialty markets would benefit from understanding existing genetic resources and the historical factors that shaped them. Our study reveals the rich history reflected in current coffee stands on the islands. Summary The West Indies, particularly former French colonies like Haiti and Guadeloupe, were central to the spread of coffee in the Americas. The histories of these Islands are shared until the 19th century, where they diverged significantly. Still, both Islands experienced a strong decline in their coffee sector. Characterizing the genetic and varietal diversity of their coffee resources and understanding historical factors shaping them can help support revitalization efforts. To that end, we performed Kompetitve Allele‐Specific PCR (KASP) genotyping of 80 informative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers on field samples from across main coffee‐growing region of Guadeloupe, and two historically important ones in Haiti, as well as 146 reference accessions from international collections. We also compared bioclimatic variables from sampled geographic areas and searched for historical determinants of present coffee resources. At least five Coffea arabica varietal groups were found in Haiti, versus two in Guadeloupe, with admixed individuals in both. The traditional Typica variety is still present in both islands, growing across a variety of climatic environments. We also found Coffea canephora on both islands, with multiple likely origins, and identified C. liberica var. liberica in Guadeloupe. These differences are explained by the Islands' respective histories. Overall, Guadeloupe experienced fewer, but older introductions of non‐Typica coffee. By contrast, several recent introductions have taken place in Haiti, driven by local and global factors and reflecting the history of Arabica varietal development and spread. Diversity on these islands is dynamic, and our results reveal opportunities and limits to the future of Guadeloupean and Haitian coffee.
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spelling doaj-art-fe9cf6dded5a4837a9291e8b4cf608922025-08-20T02:48:54ZengWileyPlants, People, Planet2572-26112025-01-017124526210.1002/ppp3.10584Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee genetic resources reflect the crop's regional and global historyClaude Patrick Millet0Boris Delahaie1Frédéric Georget2Clémentine Allinne3William Solano‐Sánchez4Dapeng Zhang5Wesly Jeune6Lucile Toniutti7Valérie Poncet8UMR DIADE, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD Montpellier FranceUMR DIADE, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD Montpellier FranceUMR DIADE, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD Montpellier FranceUPR GECO, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD Montpellier FranceCATIE Turrialba Costa RicaSPCL USDA‐ARS Beltsville Maryland USAFaculté des Sciences de l'Agriculture et de l'Environnement Université de Quisqueya Port‐au‐Prince HaitiCIRAD, UMR AGAP Institut Capesterre‐Belle‐Eau Guadeloupe FranceUMR DIADE, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD Montpellier FranceSocietal Impact Statement Despite strong historical declines, Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee sectors remain important to rural communities' livelihood and resilience. Coffee also holds value as part of the islands' historical legacy and cultural identities. Furthermore, it is often grown in agroforestry systems providing important ecosystem services, which will become more important as these vulnerable islands work to adapt to a changing climate. Current efforts to revitalize coffee farms and target strategically important specialty markets would benefit from understanding existing genetic resources and the historical factors that shaped them. Our study reveals the rich history reflected in current coffee stands on the islands. Summary The West Indies, particularly former French colonies like Haiti and Guadeloupe, were central to the spread of coffee in the Americas. The histories of these Islands are shared until the 19th century, where they diverged significantly. Still, both Islands experienced a strong decline in their coffee sector. Characterizing the genetic and varietal diversity of their coffee resources and understanding historical factors shaping them can help support revitalization efforts. To that end, we performed Kompetitve Allele‐Specific PCR (KASP) genotyping of 80 informative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers on field samples from across main coffee‐growing region of Guadeloupe, and two historically important ones in Haiti, as well as 146 reference accessions from international collections. We also compared bioclimatic variables from sampled geographic areas and searched for historical determinants of present coffee resources. At least five Coffea arabica varietal groups were found in Haiti, versus two in Guadeloupe, with admixed individuals in both. The traditional Typica variety is still present in both islands, growing across a variety of climatic environments. We also found Coffea canephora on both islands, with multiple likely origins, and identified C. liberica var. liberica in Guadeloupe. These differences are explained by the Islands' respective histories. Overall, Guadeloupe experienced fewer, but older introductions of non‐Typica coffee. By contrast, several recent introductions have taken place in Haiti, driven by local and global factors and reflecting the history of Arabica varietal development and spread. Diversity on these islands is dynamic, and our results reveal opportunities and limits to the future of Guadeloupean and Haitian coffee.https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10584agrobiodiversityArabicacoffeeGuadeloupeHaitihistorical determinants
spellingShingle Claude Patrick Millet
Boris Delahaie
Frédéric Georget
Clémentine Allinne
William Solano‐Sánchez
Dapeng Zhang
Wesly Jeune
Lucile Toniutti
Valérie Poncet
Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee genetic resources reflect the crop's regional and global history
Plants, People, Planet
agrobiodiversity
Arabica
coffee
Guadeloupe
Haiti
historical determinants
title Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee genetic resources reflect the crop's regional and global history
title_full Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee genetic resources reflect the crop's regional and global history
title_fullStr Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee genetic resources reflect the crop's regional and global history
title_full_unstemmed Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee genetic resources reflect the crop's regional and global history
title_short Guadeloupe and Haiti's coffee genetic resources reflect the crop's regional and global history
title_sort guadeloupe and haiti s coffee genetic resources reflect the crop s regional and global history
topic agrobiodiversity
Arabica
coffee
Guadeloupe
Haiti
historical determinants
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10584
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