Washington: Climate change alone could lead to the extinction of wild Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) well before the end of this century, a new study has revealed.
Wild Arabica is considered important for the sustainability of the coffee industry due to its considerable genetic diversity.
The Arabicas grown in the world’s coffee plantations are from very limited genetic stock and are unlikely to have the flexibility required to cope with climate change and other threats, such as pests and diseases.
In Ethiopia, the largest producer of coffee in Africa, climate change will also have a negative influence on coffee production.
The climate sensitivity of Arabica is confirmed, supporting the widely reported assumption that climate change will have a damaging impact on commercial coffee production worldwide.
These are worrying prospects for the world’s favourite beverage – the second most traded commodity after oil, and one crucial to the economies of several countries.
The study conducted by scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK), in collaboration with scientists in Ethiopia, which uses computer modelling, represents the first of its kind for wild Arabica coffee.
The study is published in PLOS ONE.
ANI
