· By Wallis Leonard
The Impact of Climate Change on Coffee Production
Shifts in Suitable Growing Regions
Climate change is causing changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, affecting the traditional coffee-growing regions. Rising temperatures can make areas too hot for coffee cultivation, leading to a need for higher altitudes to grow coffee. This is not always be feasible due to land availability and economic constraints. Researchers have found that rising temperatures could reduce the areas suitable for growing coffee by 50 per cent. Climate change is causing devastating risks to coffee growth regions. Not only to the coffee plants but also the economies and livelihoods of farmers in areas such as Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Brazil, India and Madagascar. /*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 09-08-2023 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img
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Quality Degradation
Weather impacts the flavour, aroma, and overall quality of coffee beans. Changes in weather conditions can disrupt the growth process of coffee cherries, affecting the chemical composition of the beans and leading to altered taste profiles. The more severe problem is that when the temperature increases, the coffee will ripen faster, but the quality of the beans will decrease. The optimum temperature of Arabica coffee plants is in-between 18° – 21°C. When exposed to temperatures higher than 30°C coffee plants will experience stunted growth, yellow leaves, or stem tumorigenesis.
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Water Scarcity
Water is a vital resource in the coffee production process, from cultivation and harvesting to processing and brewing. It is essential for plants to receive adequate water to grow and produce quality beans. Changing precipitation patterns can result in water scarcity in coffee-growing regions. Farmers may face difficulties in accessing sufficient water for irrigation, leading to lower quality or less coffee beans.
Photo by: Gerson Cifuente
Reduced Crop Yields
Increased temperatures, irregular rainfall, and changing weather patterns can lead to reduced coffee crop yields. Extreme heat during flowering can affect pollination and lead to fewer coffee cherries being produced, resulting in smaller harvests. A study published in the scientific journal Plos One shows that coffee plants will be less suitable for cultivation in the prominent coffee-producing regions by 2050 because of climate change. Over these next years climate change will bring far less friendly weather to coffee plants, reducing crops.
Photo by: Etty Fidele
In summary, climate change poses significant challenges to the coffee industry, impacting both the quantity and quality of coffee production, as well as the livelihoods of farmers and surrounding communities. Adapting to these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach that involves research, innovation, policy support, and collaborative efforts from various stakeholders.
References:
EuroNews
CNN
EraOfWe
HelenaCoffee