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Love coffee? Then it’s past time to work against the climate crisis.
In a new study published recently in Plos One, scientists have more terrifying news for all we coffee lovers: rising temperatures around the world will likely result in fewer suitable growing regions for coffee.
“The main coffee producing countries investigated (Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Colombia) are all seriously affected by climate change with a strong decline in suitable areas and an increase in unsuitable areas by 2050,” the researchers wrote.
Some countries and their farmers could be hit harder than others. Under one scenario, Brazil could lose nearly 80 percent of its best coffee-growing areas.
The research was based on three different climate scenarios, using the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projections of 1.2 degrees to 3.0 degrees (Celsius) of warming by 2050, and examined coffee arabica, which is about 60 percent of the world’s coffee crop, according to the International Coffee Organization.
The study also investigated the future of avocado and cashew crops, but noted that “coffee is most susceptible to high temperatures.”
“These crops have a lifespan of several decades and therefore long-term agricultural planning considering the expected impacts of climate change is especially important,” the researchers wrote.
It’s the latest study to show how coffee, among other crops, will be affected by the climate crisis, which scientists say is mainly caused by the greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, such as gas, oil, and coal.
The researchers also highlighted how coffee and other crops “contribute substantially to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers around the world.”
In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis laments how the worsening climate emergency and biodiversity crisis affect the poorest among us the most: “In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet: ‘Both everyday experience and scientific research show that the gravest effects of all attacks on the environment are suffered by the poorest.’”
Help Laudato Si’ Movement care for God’s creation. Get started today.
- Act: Become a Laudato Si’ Animator and learn how you can lead your community. Learn more here.
- Pray: Pray the Laudato Si’ Chaplet, a simple prayer inspired by St. Francis of Assisi. Download the prayer here.
- Advocate: Sign the Healthy Planet, Healthy People petition ahead of the UN’s biodiversity conference and tell world leaders to act urgently for our common home.
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