Next-gen Coffee

Coffee of the Future

There have been lots of studies into the likely impacts of climate change on gourmet coffee, and the millions of smallholders that produce it. But a study released recently is a bit different. As well as predicting the impacts on arabica coffee in Nicaragua, it looks at what climate change will do to the one thing that matters most to buyers and consumers: flavour. Arabica, the only coffee aficionados will raise to their lips, is prized for its palatability, acidity and complex mix of flavours. These denote high-quality, and are a direct result the way the sensitive arabica plant interacts with it environment, including of course, the prevailing climate. But there is a downside to this: when push comes to shove, arabica is a bit of a wimp. Even small fluctuations in temperature and rainfall can severely affect yields. In Nicaragua a major arabica producer climate change promises big doses of both. But until now, scientists haven't been sure what will happen to the flavour of those prized coffees as climate change takes hold. That's why research published recently by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) is likely to send a shiver through the gourmet coffee community.

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