Scientists: climate change could lead to the extinction of wild coffee in 2080

If you are still calmly drinking coffee and reading the news, you may not be able to calm down soon. If global climate change continues, plants from major coffee bean producers will be affected, unable to provide high-quality coffee bean products, and coffee could become extinct in 2080, according to Royal Botanical Gardens researchers.

Through field investigation and plant specimens, the researchers established a bioclimatic model of wild Arabica coffee beans to simulate climate change in key areas and speculated a series of potential natural phenomena. They predict that 99.7% of the Arabica coffee growing area in southern Ethiopia will no longer be suitable for plant growth after 68 years, while some other areas may not be suitable for plant growth by 2020.

Arabica beans are one of two varieties that can be used to make coffee (the other is Robusta, which is rare), accounting for 70 per cent of the market. Almost all fresh coffee sold in US and most European chains and supermarkets is made from Arabica beans. Even if the coffee bean does not become extinct in 2080, climate change in the growing areas will affect its products, and its taste will change in the coming decades.

(responsible Editor: Leo)