Coffee Farmers Urge Government Action As Climate Change Poses Significant Threat To Crops – CoffeeTalk

Climate change is significantly threatening the global coffee supply by causing rising temperatures, which adversely affect coffee production. An analysis by Climate Central highlights that from 2021 to 2025, major coffee-growing regions are experiencing temperatures surpassing the critical threshold of 30℃, resulting in extreme heat conditions. The five leading coffee-producing nations – Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Vietnam – are collectively experiencing an additional 57 days of harmful heat each year, impacting their contribution of 75% of the world’s coffee.

Elevated temperatures induce heat stress in coffee plants, leading to lower yields, compromised bean quality, and heightened susceptibility to diseases, which collectively drive up coffee prices. In the EU, the reliance on coffee imports from Brazil (34%) and Vietnam (24%) compounds the problem as these countries face severe climate impacts.

Smallholder farmers, who represent approximately 80% of global coffee producers, are disproportionately affected by these conditions. In 2021, they received a mere 0.36% of the total financing required for climate adaptation, despite the average adaptation cost being only $2.19 per day for a hectare. Dr. Kristina Dahl from Climate Central warns that the repercussions of climate change on coffee could extend to consumers in terms of both cost and quality of the product.

Farmers from various regions are expressing urgent needs for governmental action and investment in sustainable practices. In Ethiopia, Dejene Dadi of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperatives Union emphasizes the necessity for shaded growing conditions and the distribution of energy-efficient cookstoves to protect forest areas essential for coffee cultivation. Similarly, Colombian coffee farmer Eugenio Cifuentes advocates for a reduction in monoculture farming practices in favor of diversification to increase resilience against climate fluctuations.

In India, the impact of erratic weather patterns is also apparent. Sohan Shetty, managing biodiversity-rich shaded coffee farms, describes how premature flowering results in poor cherry quality and inconsistent harvests. Akshay Dashrath from South India Coffee Company details the daily measurements of rising temperatures and soil moisture loss, stressing the need for improved shade management and water resilience in coffee farming.

Overall, the ongoing climate crisis underscores the urgent need for collaborative efforts to support coffee farmers in adapting to these changes, ensuring the sustainability of coffee crops and the livelihoods dependent on them.

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