Robusta coffee

ROBUSTA COFFEE BEANS AT RISK DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

A new study Not so robust: Robusta coffee production is highly sensitive to temperature First published:28 March 2020 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15097 revealed that while Arabica beans are sensitive, Robusta beans aren’t immune to significant impacts from a changing climate.

The study about the sensitivity of Robusta coffee beans was published in March in the journal Global Change Biology. The study said that Robusta coffee production is highly sensitive to temperature. But, the optimal production range of Robusta has never been quantified, with current estimates of its optimal annual temperature range (22‐30 °C) based solely on the climatic conditions of its native range in Central Africa.

Robusta beans, which accounts for about 40 percent of the world’s coffee production, are at risk of climate change. The Arabica beans are also at risk of climate change. The Arabica beans account for the remaining 60 percent, has raised serious concerns.

The study does not claim that robusta plants face extinction, but it raises a high level of concern about their future. The study found that relatively small temperature variations can have a significant effect on yields. As yields reduce, either the price must rise or farmers will find it unprofitable and potentially abandon crops.

Robusta production could decline considerably as temperatures increase under climate change, threatening the coffee industry and the livelihoods of millions of coffee farmers.

The results from the study suggest that robusta coffee is far more sensitive to temperature than previously thought. Based on Robusta having an optimal temperature range of over 22°C, current assessments are likely to overestimate its suitable production range and its ability to contribute to coffee production as temperatures increase under climate change.

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