Climate Change Threatens Over 75% Of The World's Global Coffee Supply As Countries Become Too Hot To Cultivate Coffee – CoffeeTalk

In Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, over 4 million households rely on coffee as their primary income source, contributing nearly one-third of national export earnings. However, the future of this reliance is threatened as severe heat conditions arising from climate change increasingly impact coffee cultivation. Dejene Dadi, general manager of Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperatives Union (OCFCU), notes that coffee farmers are already experiencing the detrimental effects of extreme temperatures.

A recent analysis by Climate Central indicates that the world’s top five coffee-growing nations, which provide 75% of global coffee supply, experienced an average increase of 57 days annually of heat detrimental to coffee cultivation due to climate change. The coffee plants, particularly the highly-valued arabica variety, flourish within a specific temperature and rainfall range, struggling notably when temperatures exceed 30°C.

As reported, approximately 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed daily, but the coffee industry faces significant challenges. The World Bank reported that from 2023 to 2025, prices for arabica and robusta beans nearly doubled, culminating in record-high prices in February 2025.

Climate Central’s research tracked the number of days above 30°C in coffee-growing regions from 2021 to 2025, contrasting these figures with a scenario absent of carbon emissions. El Salvador was identified as the most severely affected, with an additional 99 days of heat, while Brazil, the largest coffee producer contributing to 37% of global output, had 70 extra days. Ethiopia, which represents 6.4% of coffee production, recorded 34 additional days of harmful heat.

Arabica coffee from Ethiopia is particularly sensitive to direct sunlight, which exacerbates the vulnerability of coffee trees to diseases and reduces bean production when adequate shade is absent. To combat deforestation and maintain natural shelters for coffee plants, the Oromia cooperative has initiated the distribution of energy-efficient cookstoves among its members.

Despite the pressing need for financial resources to aid climate adaptation, smallholder farmers, who produce 60% to 80% of coffee, received a mere 0.36% of required funds in 2021. Dadi emphasizes that without substantial governmental action on climate change, sustaining coffee supplies is increasingly precarious.

Read More @ The Guardian