World Coffee Research And The Alliance Of Bioversity International & CIAT Launch CafeClima Platform To Help Farmers With Climate-Smart Replanting – CoffeeTalk

Aging coffee trees worldwide are jeopardizing supply due to climate change, necessitating their urgent replacement with varieties resilient to future conditions. The new data platform, CafeClima, launched by World Coffee Research (WCR) and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, provides a comprehensive database that integrates climate modeling with performance data on coffee varieties. This innovative tool allows farmers and investors to make informed replanting decisions, aiming to mitigate risks associated with a $4 billion investment gap for coffee tree renovation.

As coffee trees age and become less productive, their replacement is critical, particularly on approximately 4 million hectares—the equivalent of coffee-growing areas in major producing countries like Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, and Ethiopia. The CafeClima platform assists in identifying suitable climate-adapted varieties, preventing potential economic losses and ensuring long-term productivity for farmers. It translates complex data into actionable insights essential for maintaining production levels amid increasing climate hazards and price fluctuations.

The need for climate-resilient coffee systems is underscored by the findings of a TechnoServe report, which estimates that precision investments in regenerative agriculture could enhance farmer incomes by 62% while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 38%. Despite previous investments of around $1.2 billion in renovation efforts reaching only 5% of the 11.5 million smallholder farmers needing assistance, CafeClima aims to change this paradigm by providing necessary data for effective decision-making on coffee variety replanting.

The platform reveals performance data for 26 coffee varieties across various climate conditions, enabling users to project future challenges and opportunities in coffee production. By linking current variety data to advanced climate projections, CafeClima helps visualize future coffee-growing potential using ‘climate analogs’—current locales that mirror future predicted climates, thus guiding selection of appropriate varieties.

Dr. Jennifer “Vern” Long, CEO of WCR, emphasizes the importance of proactive planning in planting new trees to sustain coffee supplies for the future. CafeClima represents a significant advancement in integrating climate science with global performance data to create robust models for smart renovation investments. Enhanced collaboration in the coffee sector, supported by the development of this free, publicly accessible tool, aims to ensure sustainable livelihoods for farmers while addressing the pressing challenges posed by a changing climate. The CafeClima platform is poised to revolutionize coffee production management by combining advanced data analytics with strategic decision-making for the sector’s long-term resilience.

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