Will coffee disappear from Earth due to global warming & climate change?

Coffee Disappears? Excuse me! What are you talking about?

The threat of global warming is real and evident in many parts of the world. Over the years, the climatic patterns of coffee growing regions have changed and consequently impacted annual yields negatively. Increased surface temperatures have seen the rise of prolonged dry spells in areas that were traditionally cool. Erratic rainfalls have also been experienced in these regions, leading to soil erosion and landslides that have further aggravated the situation. One cannot help but see this as a grand conspiracy to deny java lovers that magical experience in the near future. Thus, the fact that coffee disappear from Earth is much more visible than ever before.

Arabica coffee disappears first

To the common coffee drinker who cares little about where the beans come from, it may sound like a big joke. Telling them that one day their favorite drink could be extinct just like the dinosaurs is an unwelcome joke. Unfortunately, all evidence points towards this sad reality. In fact, a November 2012 study by Kew Gardens’ researchers revealed that the world’s best coffee strand, Arabica, is likely to disappear by 2080. This is because 99.7% of the growing areas will become unsuitable for the crop, which causes arabica coffee disappear. Clearly, it seems like mankind has been cruel to the environment, and this has awakened the wrath of Mother Nature.

The first reason to get coffee disappear is increased temperature

Across the globe, temperatures have continued to rise. Today, about 4% of agricultural regions experience dry spells that persist longer than before. This is true for coffee producing areas, too. Humidity levels continue to drop as the scorching sun saps the little moisture available in the earth. The ideal conditions to produce that authentic coffee aroma have shifted. This has led to strange tastes in coffee. Tastes that are disgusting and would sincerely make you campaign against forces behind this unfortunate predicament.

Agents of evil have heeded the call to arise and destroy all coffee just like it was predicted in a Climate Change and Agriculture Report published by the United States Department of Agriculture! The report suggested that most pests and diseases will survive in warm climate conditions. True to this prediction, notorious pests like the berry borer beetle, a small bug that was once confined to hot parts of Africa, has spread in every coffee-producing nation of the world.

When most insects will ordinarily die from the caffeine concentrates, this one can feed on coffee berries alone and thrive. To make the matters worse, it is proven that this pest is currently reproducing ten times annually due to the increased temperatures. As this army of evil sweeps across the globe, farmers continue to count losses to the tune of USD 50mn annually.

When one factor changes, the others will be kickstarted

In another twist of events, a plague of tiny organisms, fungi, that causes the leaf rust disease is on the loose. This is a serious one as it literally makes coffee bushes sterile at least for one season. It attacks the leaves which dry up and fall off. The sad thing about this plague is that it is unstoppable. It spreads so fast that it is hard to control it. Farmers in Central and South America have exercised the wrath of this diseases first hand, slashing their production by 50% in the affected seasons. It is obvious that leaf rust will never stop threatening the future of coffee.

The trend of switching to other trees also makes coffee disappear

Also, prolonged dry seasons in regions known for producing the best Arabica coffee has contributed to reduced yields. Coffee growers are forced to push their farmlands uphill towards cooler areas. Unfortunately, this does not result in better yields either. In some places, people have been forced to turn to tea growing, which does well is cold climates. The net effect is to force coffee out of farm lands.

With all these forces waging a common war on coffee, you are left wondering which other organisms will be unleashed to break the final straw on coffee. As coffee production drastically falls, retailers will be forced to sell beans at very high prices that only a few people will afford. This will be the first stage of extinction. If the unfavorable conditions persist, there will be hardly any coffee produced and the crop will varnish into sweet memories.

But the story doesn’t have to end that way. If people join hands to fight global warming and climate change, these circumstances can be reversed. This is not a one man’s job but a collective responsibility for all humanity. If you are a java lover, you need to be on the forefront to push for changes that will help preserve this wonderful drink. With great efforts of coffee lovers worldwide, we will definitely keep coffee from being disappeared.