Colombia's Coffee Farmers Adapting To Climate Change Through A Balance Of Innovation And Tradition – CoffeeTalk

Colombia’s coffee industry is facing significant challenges due to climate change, rising temperatures, and erratic rainfall. The country’s third-largest coffee producer, Colombia, is also grappling with extreme weather events such as La Niña and El Niño, which disrupt agricultural cycles and weaken harvests. Rising temperatures encourage the proliferation of harmful insects and diseases caused by fungi.

Researchers and farmers are taking multiple measures to protect their coffee crops, including developing disease-resistant coffee varieties like Castillo 2.0, which was released in December 2024. This variety ensures farmers receive a fair income for their coffee production and helps them face climate change. However, some farmers are reverting to traditional farming methods, cultivating non-hybrid coffee varieties and developing diverse agroecology techniques to mitigate the effects of climate change, such as planting Spanish elm trees alongside coffee plants to provide natural shade.

These adaptation strategies are particularly important to farmers, as coffee cultivation is crucial to the national economy, representing 8% of total exports and 12% of the gross domestic agricultural product. Smallholders, who account for 96% of coffee producers and own less than 5 hectares of land, are particularly vulnerable to crop losses and their economic consequences.

Eje Cafetero, a historic coffee-producing region in Colombia, faces climate challenges due to its mountainous terrain and diverse microclimates. Although temperatures are rising slowly but steadily, they are still within the optimal temperature range for Arabica coffee, which is between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius. However, rising temperatures are already encouraging the spread of pests and diseases, such as the coffee berry borer and coffee leaf rust fungal disease.

Erratic seasonal shifts further complicate farming operations, as a month that is usually rainy can turn completely dry, making it difficult to maintain stable production. As a result, some researchers suggest that coffee growers must at times choose between high-yield hybrids or eco-friendly organic farming, weighing sustainability against economic survival.

Cenicafé, a Colombian coffee institute, is working to develop hybrid coffee varieties that can withstand shifting climate conditions, water stress, and the growing threat of diseases and pests driven by climate change. Since the 1980s, Cenicafé has developed 15 disease-resistant coffee varieties to keep pace with the ever-evolving threats. Today, 87.5% of Colombia’s coffee production consists of resistant varieties pioneered by the institute. However, as pests and diseases continue to evolve and adapt, fueled by rising temperatures, Cenicafé remains at the forefront of innovation. It is not only trying to continuously develop new coffee varieties that endure these environmental shifts but also introduce genetic diversity to strengthen resilience against the ever-adapting threats.

Hybrid coffee plants, such as Castillo or Castillo 2.0, are developed through traditional crossbreeding between different coffee varieties to enhance traits like disease resistance. This is different from genetically modified organisms, which are genetically engineered in a lab by directly modifying its DNA, often incorporating genes from other organisms for specific traits. As the threats continue to evolve, researchers must introduce new sources of genetic resistance regularly.

Developing a new variety is a long and demanding process that takes more than 20 years. Each stage is essential to ensure the plants can withstand both diseases and extreme weather. The process begins with the F1 generation (first generation) obtained after three years from parent pants selected for qualities such as taste, productivity, and rust resistance. Real selection begins with the F2 generation (offspring of the first generation), six years later. Genetic traits manifest randomly, compelling researchers to identify plants with desirable characteristics. Secondary traits like grain size are still tolerated. The strongest plants undergo testing in various climates to assess their adaptability and resistance.

Seeds from the best F3 trees are planted in organized “families,” where each row represents a specific parent tree. Over the F4 and F5 generations, these traits stabilize, obtaining a stable variety adapted to local conditions and capable of resisting diseases. Once finalized, F5 seeds are transferred to “multiplication fields,” where they are produced in large quantities for farmers.

Climate adaptation, productivity, sensory profiles, and tolerance to diseases and various hydration levels are all areas of focus for Cenicafé’s genetics improvement department. Farmers like Gomez and Vallejo, who grow Cenicafé-developed coffee varieties, believe that farming practices will need to evolve in the near future.

Traditional farming methods are being used by some producers to mitigate and adapt to climate change, while others aim to access the premium café de especialidad (specialty coffee) market by offering organic coffee or less common varieties not developed by Cenicafé. Angéla Maria, who manages the Azucenas farm, has been restoring shade trees and reintroducing the non-hybrid Geisha variety, known for its flavor but highly susceptible to rust. By replanting shade trees such as guamo, cedar, and walnut, she created microclimates that protect coffee plants from extreme temperatures and retain essential soil moisture.

These specialty coffees, along with the reforestation efforts associated with their cultivation, are highly sought after in premium markets and by high-end clients worldwide who are willing to pay a higher price for these types of coffee and green practices. Gerardo Carvajal, a 29-year-old agronomist, also focuses on specialty coffee varieties for high-end export markets. He prioritizes plant nutrition and biodiversity to mitigate this risk, and has introduced complementary crops like cacao and banana trees to help stabilize the microclimate and improve soil health.

Gerardo Carvajal, whose farm is located near Manizales, the capital of the Caldas department in the Eje Cafetero, lives in the middle of both worlds. He cultivates the hybrid, rust-resistant Castillo variety developed by Cenicafé while fully committing to organic agriculture. To combat the coffee borer, he applies a fungus cultivated on rice. This fungus acts as a protective barrier, preventing the borer from entering the fruit and suffocating it if it’s already inside — without chemicals.

Gerardo has reforested his farm with about 1,500 trees, reducing his coffee plant density and potential yields. He rejects Cenicafé’s recommendation to use occasional chemical treatments, producing his own natural fertilizers and avoiding pesticides. The goal is to produce high-quality coffee without contaminants while respecting nature.

However, the cost and time required for implementation, along with the reduction in coffee production land inherently linked to the restoration of shade-providing ecosystems, pose significant challenges for many smallholder farmers. As extreme weather events become more frequent, Colombian coffee producers must navigate the challenge of integrating scientific innovation and/or traditional practices to adapt to evolving environmental conditions.

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