Nestlé Develops ‘Climate Change Resistant’ Arabica Coffee Variety

Nestlé has developed a new high-yielding arabica coffee variety called Star 4, which is believed to help mitigate the impact of climate change on coffee production. Star 4 was selected in Brazil for its resistance to coffee leaf rust and distinctive taste. It was developed using traditional breeding methods by Nestlé plant scientists and agronomists. The first plants have been tested in São Paulo and Minas Gerais, two traditional coffee growing regions in Brazil. Nestlé believes that the available land suitable to grow arabica coffee could be reduced by more than 50% by 2050.

Optimising cultivation practices remains vital as they contribute to the environmental impact of a cup of coffee. Field trials have demonstrated that Star 4 yields are substantially higher than the two most used Brazilian local varieties, reducing its carbon footprint. It is likely to take several years before Star 4 plants will be distributed to farmers, and it is not clear whether Nestlé sees commercial potential in scaling production to meet its coffee sourcing requirements.

Beyond the development of Star 4, Nestlé has previously developed two robusta varieties, Roubi 1 and Roubi 2, which are being rolled out in Mexico. Italian coffee group Lavazza warned that coffee prices were set to rise further due to poor harvests, supply chain disruptions, and new EU deforestation regulations.

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