A fungus called coffee rust, or la roya, is sweeping through Central America killing trees, slashing production, and reducing exports. The fungus has spread quickly and at higher altitudes, driven by higher temperatures brought on by climate change. Additionally after years of low coffee prices, farmers could not afford to replace aging coffee plants which have proven to be more vulnerable to the rust, compounding the effects of the outbreak. Farmers that can are pruning their trees, spraying fungicides, and managing shade trees that filter sunlight and seem to reduce the spread of the rust. But despite these measures, some farmers have lost as much as 60% of their crop over the past two years. Last year Guatemala declared a state of emergency as its coffee harvest fell 15% and export figures suggest that the country’s harvest has fallen an additional 10% this year. This isn’t the first time outbreaks have hit Central America. Outbreaks occurred in the 1970’s and 1980’s however were contained to lower elevations. More recent extreme weather and higher temperatures have caused this recent outbreak to reach the highest altitudes of coffee production. To read more:
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