Let’s agree that a cup of coffee is the best way to start off the day, but it appears our days of easy access to joe are limited. As mentioned in previous articles, we source our proprietary blend of beans from all over the globe. Sadly enough, coffee bean sources have been directly impacted by one of the most severe issues facing our planet; climate change.
It shouldn’t come off shocking to know how much our globe is beginning to suffer on an everyday basis. Too often, we find people ignoring the problems until they affect their daily lives. When it comes to how climate change is affecting coffee production, the harsh realities of our future becomes all the more real.
What are the various ways an erratic and warming climate is beginning to damage our sacred bean? Read on.
People, Profits & Quality Suffer
Not to be too alarming, but the statistics for how climate change is affecting coffee plants are staggering. According to one of the more elaborate studies published in January, “60% of wild coffee species — or 75 of 124 plants — are at risk of extinction.” As almost half of the coffee products worldwide trend towards no longer existing, significant consequences seem to be on the horizon.
As a 70$ billion industry, the coffee world depends on the health of both large scale and small scale farms. If climate change continues at it’s the current rate, you can expect countries that rely on the profits of coffee to slowly but surely begin to suffer.
Although this may not have an immediate impact on us at home, even the owner of Starbucks has commented on the long-term effects of climate change on coffee. As noted by the University of Pennsylvania, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told Time magazine last year, “climate change is going to play a bigger role in affecting the quality and integrity of coffee.”
With weather patterns playing such a crucial role in the world of coffee, climate change presents challenges that we never once imagined. Going forward, we’ll continue focusing on doing our part in keeping the environment as healthy as possible. Imagine a world with only over-priced, low quality coffee – terrifying!
