Low-Altitude Coffee Can Maintain High Quality Amid Climate Change Concerns – CoffeeTalk

Tropical Forestry Professor Victor Hugo Morales has been conducting a research project for over eight years on Arabica coffee cultivation in Costa Rica’s non-traditional low-altitude regions, including the Caribbean. The study, published in the scientific journal Agriculture by MDPI, reveals that coffee cultivation in unconventional areas can maintain Costa Rica’s renowned coffee standards, presenting a promising adaptation strategy amid climate change. Coffee production, a cornerstone of Costa Rica’s economy and that of many Latin American and African nations, is under increasing threat from global warming.

The study highlights the benefits of growing coffee under shade trees, such as greater height, lower mortality rates, and higher yields of ripe fruit compared to plants grown in full sunlight. Coffee plantations integrating Espavel-Poró and Guapinol-Poró tree combinations achieved the highest productivity, yielding up to 3.35 tons of ripe fruit per hectare. The synergy of tree-provided shade and rational fertilization techniques creates optimal conditions for coffee production in warm, low-altitude areas, making this an economically viable option for growers.

The study’s implications include the potential to reactivate historic coffee-growing areas, such as the Huetar Caribe region, where coffee cultivation ceased over 20 years ago. Revitalizing these areas could bring economic growth to marginalized communities and regions where subsistence farming predominates. The next phase of the transformative research will focus on assessing coffee production at an agricultural cluster level, guiding innovative strategies for profitability tailored to the unique conditions of the Costa Rican Caribbean.

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