STiR coffee and tea magazine

Volume 4, Number 6

Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/612330

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 9 of 67

10 STiR tea & coffee industry international / Issue 6, 2015 (December/January) Researchers Identify Vulnerable Zones A new climate study predicts half of the land currently suitable for arabica will not sustain the crop by 2050. World Coffee Research highlighted the study published in Plos One, an open access science journal. The report Multiclass Classification of Agro-Ecological Zones for Arabica Coffee: An Improved Understanding of the Impacts of Climate Change predicts not all coffee climates will be harmed. Regions nearest the equator that are cooler with seasonally constant temperatures (Colom- bia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Indonesia) "will be least affected by climate change." The greatest loss will be in dry regions in India, Nicaragua, and Brazil where nearly 80% of the land will become unsuitable for coffee. In addition to an analysis of coffee zones the report identified elevations where coffee can provide good yields. The median elevation to protect the crop will increase 300 meters but hot, wet zones in Mexico, for example, will require growers to plant their trees at elevations 500 meters higher than currently planted. Coffee itself will have to evolve to be more tolerant of heat and less demanding of water during the next 35 years. Co-author Dr. Peter Läderach said that "previous work only indicated if coffee would become more or less suitable. This information will help to guide the adaption process." "Climate change for coffee is extremely serious," says Christian Bunn, the study's lead author, a researcher for the Colombia-based International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). "It's a perennial crop, which means what you plant today will be in the ground still in 2050—it will get the full impact of climate change." Focusing on adapting the coffee plant itself is one of the strategies that researchers are using to plan for a future in which coffee is threatened. World Coffee Research commissioned the study and is using the findings to locate sites for the International Multi- location Variety Trial, a comparative study of how 35 coffee varieties perform across the world in different climate zones. Learn more: www.worldcoffeeresearch.org Coffee May Be a Life Saver CNN aired a much talked about report suggesting coffee may reduce the risk of death. Researchers tracked 200,000 women and 50,000 men for two decades. Eliminating those who smoked revealed that coffee drinkers who consumed three to five cups daily had 15-20% lower death rates. "The lower risk of mortality is consistent with our hypothesis that coffee consumption could be good for you (because) we have published papers showing that coffee consumption is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes and (heart) disease," said Ming Ding, a doctoral student in the Harvard School of Public Health department of nutrition. The report found those who drank 1-3 cups daily had 6-8% lower risk of dying than noncoffee drinkers. Ding and her colleagues found that coffee drinkers were about 10% less likely to die of heart disease. They were also between 9% and 37% less likely to die of neurologi- cal diseases such as Parkinson's and dementia. Coffee Kids Finds a Sponsor Coffee Kids, a popular charity that was forced to close in 2014 after assisting 200,000 coffee-farming families for 27 years is back in business. Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung North America, a private foundation that assists smallholders in 14 countries, has agreed to partner with Coffee Kids, according to managing director Jens Sorgenfrei. He praised the group for fostering "creativity and entrepre- neurial spirit that will empower their communities." Coffee Kids co-founder Dean Cycon said, "I am so excited to see it continue. Our innovative people-cen- tered approach set a gold standard in coffee community- based work that has inspired many others." Activities will resume shortly said Cycon. Everything changes, often for the better, he said. The partnership will enable Coffee Kids to remain committed to its original mission. He said the group will continue to rely on donor support to fund the program. Learn more: www.coffeekids.org Asian Coffee Market The International Coffee Organization (ICO) and the World Coffee Portal recently released very positive reports on retail coffee growth in Asia. ICO complained of a lack of reliable statistics in China but estimated consumption at 1.9 million 60-kilo bags in 2013/14, making China the 17th largest coffee market in the world. Per capita consumption is just 83 grams, the equivalent of 5 or 6 cups of coffee a year, but residents in urban areas are likely to drink about 2 kg. This is about half the 4.9 kg consumed by residents of the European Union or the 4.4 kg per US capita. Instant makes up 99% of the retail sales by volume and 98% by value, according to statistics compiled by Euromonitor International. "Nevertheless, the rising popularity of coffee shops and coffee culture in general is promoting growth in fresh roast and groundcoffee. NEWS

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of STiR coffee and tea magazine - Volume 4, Number 6