Climate change affecting global coffee production, study finds

A study from Climate Central revealed that climate change is making coffee production more challenging and expensive, affecting the flavor and availability of coffee worldwide. Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at Climate Central, tells Pittsburgh’s Action Weather both coffee connoisseurs and those just looking for a caffeine fix should care about these findings.”The local conditions under which coffee is grown really affects the flavor profile … These rising temperatures could potentially affect your ability to buy and enjoy your morning coffee,” Dahl said.Climate Central analyzed daily temperatures over the last five years in 25 coffee-growing countries, including Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Ethiopia and Indonesia. Temperatures exceeding 86 degrees Fahrenheit negatively affect the growth of Arabica and Robusta coffee plants. On average, countries in the “bean belt” experienced nearly two extra months of harmful heat. Brazil, the world’s top coffee-producing nation, saw an annual increase of 70 days of coffee-harming heat due to climate change. Coffee growers are adapting to the changing climate by planting larger shade trees, such as avocado trees, near coffee plants. “It actually improves the health of the soil, and then that benefits both crops. So definitely shade, planting in different areas, planting in a variety of species, all of these kinds of things can help to protect coffee crops from climate change,” explains Dahl.Experimental coffee-growing operations are underway in California and along the Gulf Coast as farmers look toward the future of warming temperatures.