Increased pests, rising temperatures, and extreme weather resulting from climate change could cause significant changes to the global coffee industry. The temperature increase of 2? -2.5? Centigrade would mean that some coffee growing countries would become unsuitable for production by 2050 according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The panel also predicts that by the year 2020, global coffee production could decline by 34% with profits dropping from $200 per acre to $20 per acre. In the world’s largest coffee producing country, Brazil, it could mean that the area suitable for growing coffee could decline by two thirds. The changes could prove to be devastating for some countries but opportunities for others. Vietnam has become a major entity on the global coffee market and is now the largest exporter and producer of coffee in the world behind Brazil. India and China are also both finding conditions beneficial for the development of coffee production in their countries.
To receive relevant news stories with summaries provided by GAI Research & Insight, subscribe to Global AgDevelopments, our free weekly enhanced eNews service