The Climate Institute - Coffee quality and cost to be impacted by climate change, but there are things we can do
Climate change is
already putting production and cost pressures on the supply of coffee in
significant parts of the world’s ‘bean belt’ of coffee producing countries.
Increasing temperatures and extreme weather events will cut the area suitable
for production by up to 50 per cent, erode coffee quality and increase coffee
prices for consumers, according to The Climate Institute’s A Brewing
Storm: The climate change risks to coffee report, released today.
“Over 2.25 billion
cups of coffee are consumed around the world every day, with nearly half of
Australians drinking coffee regularly,” said CEO of The Climate Institute, John
Connor. “Yet coffee is just one of a multitude of things increasingly subject to
negative climate impacts, and its negative flow-on effects.”
“Our A Brewing
Storm report, commissioned by Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand,
researched available information on climate risks to coffee, and should give a
jolt to Australian coffee consumers and provide more reason for urgent climate
action.”
World coffee
production has more than trebled since the 1960s to supply the $US19 billion
trade that continues to deliver a 5 per cent increase in consumption annually.
Yet, between 80 and 90 per cent of the world’s 25 million coffee farmers are
smallholders who are among those most exposed to climate change. They generally
live and work in the ‘bean belt’ which comprises around 70 mostly developing
countries, including Guatemala, Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Ethiopia and
Indonesia. Climate change threatens their world.
“Without strong
climate action, the areas suitable for growing coffee could halve in a few
decades, pushing production upslope, away from the equator and into conflict
with other land uses, such as nature conservation and forestry. By 2080 wild
coffee, an important genetic resource for farmers, could be extinct.” Heightened
temperatures and rainfall have already increased the incidence of disease and
pests affecting yields and quality. In already hot countries, more warming will
also increase burdens on the physical and mental health of producers, labourers
and communities - with clear productivity consequences.
“Companies such as
Starbucks and Lavazza, as well as the International Coffee Organisation, have
already publicly acknowledged the severity of climate risks,” Connor said.
“Consumers are likely to face supply shortages, impacts on flavor and
aromas, and rising prices.” Recognising the impact
of climate change, Fairtrade is working with commercial partners and coffee
farmers on climate focused projects. These projects seek to prevent more
greenhouse gases from being produced and provide technical and financial
support for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
“There are things we
coffee drinkers can do to assist,” said Connor. “The first step is to learn
about these issues and the steps being taken by Fairtrade and others; the
second is to take real action by choosing to buy only the brands that are
carbon or climate neutral, provide a fair return to farmers and their
communities while helping to build their capacity to adapt to climate change;
third is to demand climate action from the coffee companies and our governments
to ensure all products, business models and economies are carbon or climate
neutral.” John Connor said The
Climate Institute’s recently released National Agenda for Climate
Action provided a blueprint for Australian businesses, communities and
governments to get to carbon neutral and to go even further.
See the A Brewing Storm project page to
read and download the report
http://www.climateinstitute.org.au/articles/media-releases/coffee-quality-and-cost-to-be-impacted-by-climate-change,-but-there-are-things-we-can-do.html
