Photo: Jenny Williams/RBG Kew
Two billion cups of coffee are drunk around the world every day and 25 million families rely on growing coffee for a living. Over the past 15 years, consumption of the drink has risen by 43% - but researchers are warning that the world's most popular coffee, Arabica, is under threat.
Although there are 124 known species of coffee, most of the coffee that's grown comes from just two - Arabica and Robusta.
Robusta makes up about 30% of global coffee production, and is mainly used for instant coffee. As the name implies, it is a strong plant - but for many, its taste cannot compare to the smooth and complex flavours of Arabica.
It is Arabica that drives the industry and accounts for the majority of coffee grown worldwide, but it is a more fragile plant and only tolerates a narrow band of environmental conditions. It is particularly sensitive to changes in temperature and rainfall.
In 2012, research by a team from the UK's Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, revealed a bleak picture for wild coffee in Ethiopia, where Arabica originated. They did a computer modelling exercise to predict how environmental changes would affect Arabica for the rest of the century. They forecast that the number of locations where wild Arabica coffee grows could decrease by 85% by 2080 - the worst-case outcome was a 99.7% reduction.
Coffee leaves feeling the heat Photo: Jenny Williams/RBG Kew
"If we don't do anything now and over the next 20 years, by end of the century, wild Arabica in Ethiopia could be extinct - that's in the worst-case scenario," says Dr Aaron Davis, head of coffee research at Kew, who led the project.
The report made headlines around the world and spurred the industry into action. Since then, the team from Kew and their partners in Ethiopia have covered 25,000km in Ethiopia, visiting coffee producing areas to compare their predictions with what is happening in reality. "It's important to see what's happening on the ground, observing what influence climate change is having on coffee now, and talking to farmers. They can tell us what has happened, sometimes taking us back many decades, with several generations of farmers involved," says Davis.
Ripe red coffee cherries, ready for harvest. Photo: Jenny Williams/RBG Kew
Read the rest of the article at bbc.com
8 comments:
This is my first visit to this awesome blog and got excited with the information on drinking coffee daily throughout the world. It's totally knowledgeable and inspiring. I can also mention about a site that offer instant black coffee.May be someone desires to have a new taste. I would have written a post on the products anyway, because I love them. But the guys have offered my readers a 50% discount on their products if you use the code, ‘COFDRINK’ when you go to.. BTW I appreciate your brilliant effort. And of course thank you very much for sharing here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078ZLTJ44?ref=myi_title_dp
It's extremely a good post as well. The production sources of coffee you picked up in this post proved the post as a quality work. Truly this is a wonderful post with rich information I think. In fact I was roaming online to hut the perfect Coffee extraction process. But I can't but stop here seeing the title of the post. Just feel quarries about the way it goes to extinction. Why and how? This really really a help topic to me to enrich my knowledge. I should have to say a cordial thanks to you for your amazing job.
right here on this weblog, terms themselves are growing that situation in which there is a lot of mayhem and serendipity collectively with a silent isolation. no longer regularly decided to peer such talent and enthusiasm. Counselling and Psychotherapy Spring Hill
I found that site very usefull and this survey is very cirious, I ' ve never seen a blog that demand a survey for this actions, very curious... what is the best keurig coffee maker
A good blog always comes-up with new and exciting information and while reading I have feel that this blog is really have all those quality that qualify a blog to be a one leascoffee
The information you have posted is very useful. The sites you have referred was good. Thanks for sharing.. Commercial coffee machines
Thanks For sharing this Superb article.I use this Article to show my assignment in college.it is useful For me Great Work. e-cigarettes
Post a Comment