For Blog Action Day in 2009, summarized all the posts I had done that related to coffee and climate change, including how climate change may impact coffee production, how growing coffee under shade can buffer against climate change, and how shade coffee and habitat preservation on coffee farms can contribute to carbon sequestration. I also provided links to further resources on those topics.
Here are some additional resources that I have come across since then that I found of interest.
- Carbon sequestration through agroforestry in indigenous communities of Chiapas, Mexico. 2010. Soto-Pinto, L. et al. Agroforestry Systems 78:39-51. This paper examined carbon content in living biomass, soil, and dead organic manner in ten different agroforestry types, from fallow fields to several types of coffee production at eight locations in Chiapas. Carbon density was highest in zones over 1,000 m (coffee-growing elevations) and polyculture shade coffee and organic coffee stored high amounts of carbon, sequester carbon for longer periods than rotational crop systems, and are appropriate for REDD projects.
- Central America coffee land to shrink as globe warms (Reuters). Using data collected from 7000 Central American coffee farms, researchers project that if temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, 30% of the land now favorable for arabica coffee farming would become unsuitable by 2050.
- CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture) slide show on changing climate impacts on coffee in Colombia. Some material in Spanish, but a lot of data in slides, many in English.
- Adaptation to climate change for smallholders of coffee and tea. A pilot project to help farmers develop strategies to cope with the risks and impacts of climate change. Reports, handbooks, and workshop proceedings are available for download, many in Spanish.
- Climate change adaptation and mitigation in the Kenyan coffee sector. A summary of another study by CIAT, including a slide show and link to the final report.
- In fact, in the climate change section of the CIAT Decision and Policy Analysis Program blog, there are a number of similar reports and slide shows on the impacts of climate change on coffee in other countries.
- The CRS Coffeelands blog has several posts on climate change and coffee, including this one on the Coffee Under Pressure: Climate Change and Adapation in Mesoamerica project.
- Climate change and the coffee industry. Report by the International Trade Center focusing on small coffee producers in developing and least developed countries. Highlights the possible effects of climate change on quality, yield, pests and diseases, and irrigation; considers potential areas of intervention, and looks at short-term solutions and long-term strategies.
I’ll continue to post periodic updates on this topic, which is often sought after here at Coffee & Conservation. If you’ve come across any particularly good links, drop them in the comments.