Coffee: more than half of wild species at risk of extinction
Environment — di Andrea Barolini
Deforestation and climate change risk wiping out 75 of the 124 existing coffee varieties. With consequences for the environment, the economy and society.
Coffee: more than half of wild species at risk of extinction
Deforestation and climate change risk wiping out 75 of the 124 existing coffee varieties. With consequences for the environment, the economy and society.
More than half of the wild coffee varieties that exist in nature today are at risk of extinction. This is revealed by a study conducted by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the United Kingdom, together with Queen Mary University of London and the University of Nottingham. The text – published on 16 January by the scientific journal Science Advances – analysed the situation of numerous African forests, from Sierra Leone to Madagascar.
Thirteen coffee varieties already in a critical situation
The result is that 75 of the 124 existing coffee varieties are now directly threatened by deforestation, climate change and the consequent spread of diseases and non-native species. In particular, thirteen are already in a critical situation, 40 are considered "endangered" and 22 "vulnerable".
Read also: The coffee cup shrunk by climate change
The report explains that global coffee production currently relies on two macro-species: arabica, which accounts for around 60 per cent of the total, and robusta. The improvement of their seeds depends precisely on wild varieties: "They possess the genes needed to develop coffee plants capable of withstanding diseases and climate change," explained Aaron Davis, head of coffee research at the Royal Botanic Gardens.
The future of 100 million coffee producers at risk
The experts also highlighted the fact that the coffee plant is particularly at risk because it is highly sensitive to environmental changes. In particular, prolonged periods of drought represent a major threat.
60% of coffee species found in the wild could soon go extinct, new research shows.
The researchers warn that climate change, deforestation, droughts and plant diseases are putting the future of coffee at risk. cnn.it/2DmS7Qd
The researchers warn that climate change, deforestation, droughts and plant diseases are putting the future of coffee at risk. cnn.it/2DmS7Qd
Should production become impossible, moreover, there is also the risk of generating serious social problems: "Around the world there are approximately 100 million coffee growers. If they were no longer able to guarantee the product, it is clear that the economic consequences would be enormous," Davis added.
Read also: Lavazza ¡Tierra! with One coffee, one forest: enjoy an espresso and protect the forests
Not by chance, another study by the Kew Gardens, published in the journal Global change biology https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.14341, had raised the alarm about wild arabica. "With our studies," Davis concluded, "we are not aiming to cause panic, but rather to call for action. If we do not start thinking today about the conservation of these resources, tomorrow we may come to regret it."