Africa’s finest Africafe Coffee explains the effects of the climate change on coffee.

With over 1.5 billion cups of coffee being made every day, just the thought of living without it may give you the heebie-jeebies. The London’s Royal Botanic Gardens has led a study which warns, due to the climate change, Arabica, the most consumed coffee, could become extinct by 2080.

The pillar of the coffee industry, Arabica accounts for 70% of the world’s production. A recent study published in the PLOS ONE journal, combined computer modeling and field observation to reveal how different climate situations could affect wild coffee species. The study focused on Africa, the largest coffee producer, the results were “profoundly negative”.

Coffee usually grows in environments such as the lush tropical mountains of Africa. “The kind of cloud forest climates where Arabica is native are disappearing, and the plant and animals that live in them are going to be among the most threatened on Earth,” explained Botanist Peter Raven, “Most coffee production throughout the world will be in trouble as the climate shifts.”

According to the United Nations Development Program, since 1960, the annual temperature in Africa has risen by 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit. This may not seem like a lot, but to the sensitive coffee plant can be devastating.

Aaron Davis head of the coffee research program said, “So even if you do some very simple sums, it doesn’t take much to realize that there’s an intrinsic threat to these species from accelerated climate change. The logical conclusion is that coffee production will be negatively impacted as well.”

Aaron Davis goes on to say, “Arabica’s history is punctuated by problems with diseases, pests, and productivity problems–and growers have always gone back to the wild and used genetic diversity to address them.”

Davis remains optimistic; with conservation activities we can avert extinction. Unfortunately, Raven doesn’t see it the same way, “Regardless of what measures are taken in nature, we can confidently, and sadly, expect the genetic diversity of those population to go downhill steadily year after year.”

The International Coffee Organization advised since coffee is one of the most traded commodity in the world, it could cause a major economic jolt, not to mention the industry has about 26 million employees.

Africa is known to have the highest quality coffee in the world. The rich volcanic soil of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and shores of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in the southern hemisphere, create the perfect condition to grow the finest coffee, the mildly acidic soils lend way to the rich full bodied flavor.

Africafe Coffee is proud to offer the world’s finest African Coffees, delivered fresh to your door step.  Coffee discovered in Ethiopia more than 1,200 years ago is Africa’s precious gift to the world.