Coffee: The Climate Connection
Global coffee prices have increased rapidly because of of increasingly unfavorable climate conditions.
September 29, 2015
1. Production of Arabica coffee — the premium bean that accounts for about 70% of global production — requires a challenging mix of climate conditions.
2. Favorable condition for coffee growing include moderate temperatures and adequate rainy season, followed by a period of dryness that allows the beans to ripen and develop their flavor.
3. In recent years, yields in some of the world’s premium coffee-growing regions have plummeted because of rising temperatures and heavier than usual rainfalls that damage plants.
4. As a result of increasingly unfavorable climate conditions, global coffee prices have increased rapidly.
5. According to National Geographic, scientists believe that the effects of global warming could, by 2080, reduce the amount of land suitable for growing Arabica coffee by two-thirds.