How climate change threatens coffee production | DW Documentary

Summary

The future of coffee is at a crossroads, threatened by climate change, unsustainable practices, and the exploitation of smallholder farmers. However, a growing movement toward sustainable cultivation, fair trade, and resilient coffee varieties offers hope. Farmers in regions like Ecuador and Uganda are embracing traditional agroforestry and innovative farming methods to adapt to shifting conditions. Direct trade models, like those pioneered by Andreas Felsen of Quijote Kaffee, are providing better income for farmers. The coffee industry is changing, but the path forward requires a collective effort to prioritize sustainability, fairer trade, and environmental stewardship.

Takeaways

• 😀 Coffee is one of the most popular beverages globally, but climate change threatens its production, making it increasingly difficult and economically unviable to grow.
• 😀 Smallholder coffee farmers often struggle with poverty, with unfair market prices and middlemen benefiting the most from coffee production.
• 😀 Andreas Felsen, a socially-minded entrepreneur, has worked for 30 years to change the coffee industry by directly importing coffee from producers, bypassing middlemen to ensure fair prices for farmers.
• 😀 Indigenous coffee growers in Ecuador use sustainable agroforestry methods, cultivating coffee under tree canopies that preserve biodiversity and reduce the need for fertilizers and irrigation.
• 😀 Ecuador's Indigenous Kichwa community practices traditional agroforestry, growing coffee alongside other crops like bananas and cacao, ensuring environmental sustainability and diverse income sources.
• 😀 The EU has introduced regulations requiring coffee imports to be free from deforestation, putting pressure on producers to prove their environmental practices, despite some Indigenous communities already practicing sustainable methods.
• 😀 Coffee cultivation is a major contributor to deforestation, particularly in Brazil, where large monocultures of coffee are created by clearing forests, causing environmental harm and contributing to CO2 emissions.
• 😀 New coffee varieties like Liberica, which are more resilient to climate change, pests, and drought, are being researched and cultivated in Uganda as potential solutions for sustainable coffee farming in the face of climate change.
• 😀 Coffee varieties that thrive under challenging climate conditions, such as Liberica, show promise for long-term sustainability, but the transition to these varieties is a long-term process requiring systemic changes in the global coffee market.
• 😀 Innovations in coffee processing, such as using drying beds that preserve coffee quality without relying on electricity or gas, help ensure that coffee farmers receive a fair price while maintaining high standards of quality.
• 😀 The global coffee trade is slowly changing, with more emphasis on fairer trade conditions, sustainable farming practices, and the development of resilient coffee varieties to safeguard the future of coffee for both farmers and consumers.

Q & A

What is the primary threat to coffee production in the near future?

The primary threat to coffee production is climate change, which is expected to shrink the coffee belt, making traditional coffee-growing areas less viable and impacting crop yields.

How is climate change expected to affect coffee-growing regions by 2050?

By 2050, climate change is expected to drastically reduce the areas suitable for growing coffee, particularly Arabica, due to changing temperatures and unpredictable rainfall patterns.

What are some methods smallholder farmers are using to adapt to these challenges?

Smallholder farmers are increasingly adopting agroforestry techniques, such as growing coffee under tree canopies, which help protect crops from extreme weather, improve soil quality, and preserve biodiversity.

How is the Indigenous Kichwa community in Ecuador helping to mitigate climate change's impact on coffee production?

The Kichwa community in Ecuador uses agroforestry, planting coffee under the shade of trees, which helps protect the rainforest, reduces the need for chemicals, and maintains a sustainable ecosystem.

What role do research and innovation play in ensuring the future of coffee?

Research into climate-resilient coffee varieties, like Liberica, and new cultivation methods, such as agroforestry, are crucial for adapting to climate change and ensuring the long-term viability of coffee production.

What is the significance of introducing Liberica as a coffee variety for the future?

Liberica is a drought-resistant, climate-resilient coffee variety that may help secure coffee production in regions where traditional varieties, like Arabica, are struggling due to changing climate conditions.

Why is the coffee trade industry often seen as unfair to farmers?

The coffee trade is marked by low prices and middlemen who take a large portion of the profit, leaving smallholder farmers with little income, despite the high demand for their crops.

How does Andreas Felsen's company, Quijote Kaffee, aim to change the coffee trade?

Andreas Felsen’s Quijote Kaffee promotes direct trade with farmers, cutting out middlemen and ensuring farmers receive higher prices for their coffee, while also investing in sustainable practices and fairer working conditions.

What is the difference between Fair Trade and Quijote Kaffee’s approach to the coffee business?

While Fair Trade sets minimum prices for coffee, Quijote Kaffee pays above these minimums, providing farmers with higher premiums, and focuses on long-term, direct partnerships to ensure fairer prices and sustainable livelihoods.

What are the key elements that could ensure a sustainable future for coffee production?

A sustainable future for coffee requires innovations in farming practices (such as agroforestry), climate-resilient coffee varieties, fair trade models, and more direct relationships between coffee producers and roasters to ensure a transparent and equitable market.