Coffee Watch Launches New Agroforestry E-Library, Making Coffee-Saving Research Accessible To Millions Of Coffee Farmers – CoffeeTalk

By 2050, approximately half of the world’s arabica coffee-growing regions may become unsuitable for cultivation due to climate change. This impending crisis extends beyond the simple loss of daily caffeine, impacting the livelihoods of approximately 25 million farmers and 100 million farmworkers who rely on coffee. Experts highlight agroforestry as a viable solution to adapt coffee farming to changing climatic conditions. The nonprofit organization Coffee Watch has established an e-library compiling all existing research on coffee agroforestry, aiming to assist producers in implementing effective strategies for sustaining coffee cultivation.

Coffee is a sensitive plant, requiring specific microclimate conditions to thrive, and thus, coffee agroforestry seeks to replicate natural ecosystems by pairing coffee with other tree species. This method can stabilize temperature and moisture levels while also enhancing soil health and biodiversity, leading to improved coffee quality and additional income through compatible crops like fruit trees. However, the successful application of agroforestry hinges on producers accessing the right knowledge.

The e-library created by Coffee Watch serves as an innovative repository, providing farmers and companies with consolidated information that can prevent redundant projects and expedite the learning process about agroforestry practices. Guillermo Vargas Leitón from Café Monteverde emphasizes the importance of accessible information in multiple languages for daily production needs.

As the potential collapse of the coffee sector looms, with severe social and economic repercussions, particularly in countries like Burundi where coffee represents about 69% of total exports, the need for real action in major producing nations like Brazil and Vietnam becomes urgent. Currently, these countries are not prioritizing coffee agroforestry, but the e-library stands ready for when they decide to embrace this strategy to safeguard their coffee industries, economies, and jobs from the adverse effects of climate change.

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