New study finds coffee under threat from climate change

(Climate Action, 17 Jan 2019) A new study has found that wild coffee species are now under threat from climate change.

A new study has found that wild coffee species are now under threat from climate change.

Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens have found that 60 per cent of wild coffee species are at risk of extinction. This includes Arabica, the world’s most widely traded coffee.

The report states how despite the success of Arabica and Robusta coffee in the industry, they now face new threats of climate change, including the increasing incidence and duration of drought.

Dr Justin Moat, Head of Spatial Analysis at Kew and one of the authors of the paper, said: “Our initial evaluation of Arabica coffee suggested that it was not threatened with extinction in the wild. However, after factoring in climate change, it moved upwards by two categories to become an endangered species. These findings are so important as they indicate that the extinction risk to many other coffee species could be much worse if we consider climate change.”

The coffee industry currently relies on Arabica and Robusta coffee, however as climate change worsens, it could result in having to rely on different coffee species for coffee crop plant development.

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Climate Action, 17 Jan 2019: New study finds coffee under threat from climate change