A study published Thursday in the journal Sustainable Development by Wiley has cast doubt on the widely held assumption that robusta coffee is more resilient to climate change than other coffee varieties.
The research, led by Aaron Davis, senior researcher of crops and global change at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, describes the belief in robusta's superior climate resilience as an "internet myth" that gained traction about a decade ago. Davis argues that previous assessments contained significant errors, including treating irrigated farms as ideal growing conditions and failing to account for the plant's vulnerability to drought.
The study asserts that past evaluations of robusta's climate resilience should now be considered provisional, prompting a reassessment of the coffee industry's reliance on the variety as a solution to climate challenges. Vietnam and Brazil, which together produce the majority of the tens of millions of bags of robusta coffee exported globally each year, are expected to be particularly affected by these findings.
Global demand for robusta coffee has been rising, with industry stakeholders increasingly viewing the variety as a key crop for adapting to climate change. However, the new research suggests that this perception may be misplaced. An unnamed Vietnamese coffee sector official recently stated that climate change adaptation has become an immediate priority to safeguard production levels, rather than a distant concern.
The findings underscore the need for further research and adaptation strategies in the coffee sector, particularly as climate pressures intensify.
