Coffee Shortage Coming? Climate Change Threatens Supply from Ethiopia Region
Coffee lovers may face a crisis soon, as scientists predict rough times ahead for one of the world's biggest producers of beans. Coffee farms in Ethiopia could soon become unsuitable for growing the crop if climate change trends continue.
Scientists warn that changing climate conditions in Ethiopia could destroy the country's production output of coffee, according to a study published on Monday, June 19, on the Nature Plants science journal.
Recent climate trends indicate rising temperatures in the region, according to the study. Accompanied with the decrease in rainfall, established coffee farms in Ethiopia could soon become unsuitable for growing the crop.
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The study estimates that 40 percent to 60 percent of the region dedicated to coffee production in the country will no longer be able to sustain the prized crop in the next decades.
Authors of the paper suggest some possible solution to the coming crisis. One alternative is to relocate existing farms, if possible, to regions of Ethiopia with higher elevations that could provide a cooler environment for growing coffee.
Forest conservation practices could also increase the land area that can be used for coffee production by as much as four-fold, according to the International Business Times.
Justin Moat, the lead author of the study from the University of Nottingham, noted how immediate action needs to be started. "A 'business-as-usual' approach could be disastrous for the Ethiopia coffee economy in the long-term," Moat said, as quoted by local news outlet The Nation.
Ethiopia is the world's fifth leading supplier of coffee, exporting about 423,287 U.S. tons last year, according to World Atlas. Any decrease in their coffee production will be a huge blow to the country's economy, with 28 percent of its annual export revenue coming from the commodity.
An estimated 15 million are also employed in coffee production in the country, which is considered the home of the Arabica variant.
