Trouble Brewing for Coffee

Beware, coffee lovers: climate change could disrupt your precious morning cup of joe. Coffee beans could lose half of their farmable land by 2050 as temperatures and weather patterns become more extreme and less predictable. This could lead to scarcer yields and pricier brews. But there is hope that unique varieties and novel farming techniques could change coffee’s destiny. The transition will require massive investments and many observers question whether the industry can meet the challenge.

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Host
  • Gabrielle Sierra
    Director, Podcasting
Credits

Asher Ross - Supervising Producer

Markus Zakaria - Audio Producer and Sound Designer

Rafaela Siewert - Associate Podcast Producer

Episode Guests
  • Aaron P. Davis
    Senior Research Leader of Crops and Global Change, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
  • Amanda Grossi
    Senior Africa Regional Manager, International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Earth Institute, Columbia University
  • Jonathan Morris
    Research Professor in History, University of Hertfordshire

Show Notes

The world loves coffee, but the crop is facing a new challenge as climate change threatens traditional agricultural practices globally. The consequences go beyond risking coffee lovers’ daily cup by endangering small-scale farmers who rely on the crop for their livelihoods and economic survival. Coffee is getting even more popular, but scientists and farmers are just starting to think about how to modernize agricultural techniques and reintroduce more sustainable varieties for new climates.  

 

 

From CFR

 

Alice C. Hill and Madeline Babin, “What the Historic U.S. Climate Bill Gets Right and Gets Wrong” 

 

 

From Our Guests

 

Building a Climate Resilient Coffee Economy for Ethiopia,” Kew

 

Jonathan Morris, Coffee: A Global History, Reaktion Books

 

 

Read More

 

Anthony King, “Forest Plantations Are a Potent Blend for Coffee Production,” Horizon

 

Sarah Gibbens, “What Climate Change Means for the Future of Coffee and Other Popular Foods,” National Geographic

 

Tatiana Schlossberg, “Coffee and Climate Have a Complicated Relationship,” New York Times

 

 

Watch and Listen

 

‘Amazing’ New Beans Could Save Coffee From Climate Change,” Voice of America

 

The Global Coffee Crisis Is Coming,” Vox

 

How Climate Change Is Threatening the Coffee Industry,” CFR Education

 

Coffee, Climate Change, & Extinction: A Conversation With Dr. Aaron Davis at Kew”, James Hoffmann

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