The world produces roughly 11 million tons of green coffee beans every year.
Over 1 billion people worldwide drink coffee every day. That's about 12.6% of the world's population.
Coffee leaf rust is a devastating disease that severely affects coffee plants, causing an estimated $1 billion in annual losses globally.
Caapi's proposed solution is a genetically modified Bacillus subtilis with enhanced production of Iturin A, a potent antifungal lipopeptide with proven efficacy against Hemileia vastatrix, the fungus responsible for CLR.
Bacillus subtilis is a natural inhabitant of the coffee plant microbiota. This makes it an ideal candidate for sustainable, microbiome-friendly interventions in coffee cultivation.
