Coffee production industry prepares for climate change
Coffee plants in farms around the world are expected to be hit hard by the onset of global climate change. The coffee plant has a reputation for its sensitivity to its surroundings and with the changes in temperature and rainfall that have been forecast as a result of climate change, coffee growers are already contemplating which moves to take next.
It wasn’t long ago that coffee producers from across the globe converged on the World Coffee Conference in Guatemala. The main topic on the agenda: how the production of international coffee would be affected by changes in the Earth’s climate and what, if anything, the industry could do to best prepare itself.
Whilst man appears powerless before unexpected and ‘freak’ weather conditions, which are expected to increase in both frequency and severity in future years, there are measures that can be taken in the face of the lesser changes in temperature and precipitation.
Coffee farmers believe that swapping the mild Arabica coffee beans for Robusta varieties might be the most viable option, should temperatures continue to rise, as the latter plants appear to thrive more so than their counterparts in the heat.
Other possibilities include a potential breakthrough by scientists who are currently looking at breeding hybrid plants that will be better suited to a warmer environment. The worst case scenario that would see farmers having to relocate.
Whatever happens, it is reassuring to see that plans are already being put in place.