Just when you think doomsday scenarios and signs of a dystopian world only happen in films—well, things just got real. The drink that wakes you up in the morning or perks you up at work is about to disappear. Science Advances published an article titled, “High extinction risk for wild coffee species and implications for coffee sector sustainability” and it doesn’t sound good.
The study reportss that coffee is officially considered endangered, as 60% of the 125 wild coffee species in the world are now threatened with extinction, thanks to diseases, climate change, and deforestation. This can affect not only consumers but a huge industry. Take for example these facts according to the site. Coffee is one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages, supporting a multibillion-dollar sector (1) spanning a lengthy value chain from farmer to consumer. As coffee production is largely in the hands of smallholder farmers, the livelihood value is immense, with an estimated 100 million coffee farmers worldwide (2).
This is due to a number of factors. Findings from the study conclude that “he main drivers for coffee species extinction risk are small distribution sizes and low number of locations, i.e., “a geographically or ecologically distinct area in which a single threatening event will affect all individuals”, in conjunction with ongoing threats, particularly habitat loss. For almost all species, there is a continuing decline in the quality, area, and extent of available habitat . Habitat loss is mainly due to land use change, especially forest loss, predominantly because of agriculture (general), livestock farming, and settlement and development, mostly associated with farming. Timber collection is also a threat for many coffee species.
Included in the endangered list is Arabica, which is responsible for around 70% of the world’s supply of coffee.
So cherish those moments with your coffee cup and start doing your part in helping the environment in your own way.
Source: Science Advances
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