Getting up in the morning and have a hot cup of coffe at breakfast can become a luxury by the end of this century due to the effect that climate change could have on the cultivation of the most common variety of bush producer of coffee, Arabica coffee.
A recent study conducted by British and Ethiopians researchers, the 70% of world coffee production could be eradicated by 2080.
Researchers focused on how climate change could transform soil in which the plant is grown, so they became unproductive, as this shrub is very vulnerable to changes in temperature and other hazards such as pests and diseases.
The study predicts that the reduction of land suitable for the cultivation of arabica coffee could be 38% in 2080. The worst predictions rise up to 90 and even up to 100%.
The conclusions are devastating: "there is a high risk of extinction." Obviously the economy of many producing countries, such as Ethiopia, Colombia and Brazil could be greatly affected if the prediction is correct.
Most of the coffee we consume is of the arabica variety, prized for its genetic diversity and grow well between 18 and 21 ° C temperature. Temperature rises slightly over this interval and the plant will ripen too quickly (which affects the taste) or grow too slowly.
The worst thing is that scientists believe that their predictions are even optimistic, as they have not considered deforestation dangers faced by growing areas, what is happening in the high forests of Ethiopia and southern Sudan.
And I conclude stating that I'll be happy if the prediction fails because I really love coffe...
With information from
Cuaderno de Ciencias
