A few months ago, we alerted you to the possibility that climate change could very well wipe out the Arabica coffee bean. Well folks, this is not a drill: now, reports say that climate change could make the sought-after coffee bean extinct in a mere 70 years. Better hold onto that cup of coffee.
Reuters reports on a new study from Britain's Royal Botanic Gardens, in collaboration with Ethiopian scientists. Based on a computer model of the bean production in Ethiopia, the scientists predict that 99 percent of areas best suited to grow Arabica coffee beans will be wiped out by 2080 — which leaves the future of the bean in jeopardy.
Coffee is a crop that's vulnerable to climate and temperature changes; as the temperatures go up, the wild Arabica plants can't adjust to the changes. And that's especially alarming for farmers and producers in Ethiopia who rely on the Arabica coffee bean for jobs and livelihoods. "The extinction of Arabica coffee is a startling and worrying prospect," said Aaron Davis, head of coffee research at the Royal Botanic Gardens and the leader of the study, to Reuters.