Climate Change and Our Favorite Beverages
The Art
Climate Change and Coffee Production
“…Despite being a strategic commodity with a historic and robust supply chain, coffee production is a fragile sector tormented by enormous challenges. Climate change (CC) is the most pressing issue, expected to reduce worldwide yield and decrease coffee-suitable land by 2050 …”*
“…Alarmingly for coffee lovers, climate change poses a significant threat to global coffee production, with its impacts being felt from the cultivation stage right through to the yield and quality of the coffee beans produced. As global temperatures rise and weather patterns become more erratic, the traditional coffee-growing regions within the ‘coffee belt’ (a loop around the planet, falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn) are experiencing shifts that could potentially reshape the entire industry…” **
Rising temperatures, disruptions in rainfall patterns, increase in numbers and types of pests and pathogens, all have the effect of reducing yields and raising production costs. Many coffee farmers, particularly small holders, do not have the resources to address these changes.
The changing climate and soil conditions also alter the flavor profile and quality of coffee beans.
“Coffee is a roughly $200 billion industry that stretches from small farms across Brazil or Indonesia to roasters and makers of end products, such as Nestle SA. Traditionally, sellers like chain Starbucks Corp. favor the milder, more aromatic arabica variety, whereas robusta is used for instant coffee.
But consumers are going to have to get used to a different taste. A 2022 study of tropical cash crops that included arabica, as well as avocado and cashew, found that the bean was most vulnerable to climate change, with regions suitable for its production shrinking globally primarily due to increased heat. Researchers found that it would be necessary to adapt, including by replacing arabica with hardier robusta.
…In an October report, World Coffee Research said the world may face robusta shortages in 2040 of as much as 35 million bags when taking into account rising consumption trends and the impact of climate change on production. (The world currently produces close to 80 million bags of robusta a year.).. …[C]hanging weather patterns could lead to dramatically lower yields, which in turn would leave millions of smallholder farmers — who produce 60% of the world’s coffee — vulnerable to economic and food insecurity. …”***
* https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9824350/
**Leaf by greenly, *Is coffee threatened by climate change? By Kara Anderson, updated May 2, 2024
***Bloomberg, Climate Change Is Making Your Coffee More Bitter and Expensive, Dec 18, 2023 [links removed]
Climate Change and Wine Production
“Rising global temperatures could change where the majority of the world's wine is produced as mid-latitude regions may no longer be able to grow grapes, according to researchers.
Up to 70% of current wine-producing regions could face a substantial risk of losing the suitability for wine-growing if global temperatures increase beyond 2 degrees Celsius since the Industrial Revolution, a review of more than 200 studies published Tuesday in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment found…
Other regions farther to the north could start to produce more wine.”*
“Climate change is affecting grape yield, composition and wine quality. As a result, the geography of wine production is changing…
Key points
• Climate change modifies wine production conditions and requires adaptation from growers.
• The suitability of current winegrowing areas is changing, and there will be winners and losers. New winegrowing regions will appear in previously unsuitable areas, including expanding into upslope regions and natural areas, raising issues for environmental preservation.
• Higher temperatures advance phenology (major stages in the growing cycle), shifting grape ripening to a warmer part of the summer. In most winegrowing regions around the globe, grape harvests have advanced by 2–3 weeks over the past 40 years. The resulting modifications in grape composition at harvest change wine quality and style.
• Changing plant material and cultivation techniques that retard maturity are effective adaptation strategies to higher temperatures until a certain level of warming.
• Increased drought reduces yield and can result in sustainability losses. The use of drought-resistant plant material and the adoption of different training systems are effective adaptation strategies to deal with declining water availability. Supplementary irrigation is also an option when sustainable freshwater resources are available.
• The emergence of new pests and diseases and the increasing occurrence of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, heavy rainfall and possibly hail, also challenge wine production in some regions. In contrast, other areas might benefit from reduced pest and disease pressure.”**
*ABC News, March 26, 2024, by Julia Jacobo, [links removed]
