In addition to all the challenges threatening the future of coffee production that cannot be listed here, there is another one: venerable trees. The number of coffee trees planted more than two decades ago and now past their most productive years is said to be in the billions. To meet global demand, these trees will need to be replaced. But with what? The changing climate landscape means that replanting the same variety may not be profitable.
Enter CoffeeWeather. A collaborative effort between World coffee research and Biodiversity Alliance and CIAT, CafeClima is a “free, science-based data platform designed to lend a hand farmers, governments and funders make smarter coffee restoration decisions by matching actual variety performance to future climate conditions.”
Four million hectares of trees – equivalent to the combined production area of the four largest coffee-growing countries – will need to be replaced to maintain current production levels. And since an estimated 50% of today’s coffee plantations will be unsuitable for growing coffee as it is by 2050, that means planting newer, more resistant varieties.
Announced in a press release earlier this week, CafeClima is a up-to-date open-access tool that “translates elaborate climate and performance data into actionable guidance to lend a hand make effective, climate-friendly renovation decisions across the global coffee sector.” The platform provides both country-level trends and customized suggestions based on user-entered geographic information. The producer can enter the name of his farm, longitude and latitude or select its location from the interactive map. From there, CafeClima will provide them with detailed climate information, including future projections and sustainability analysis for coffee farming. They will make it possible to carry out analogue tests in places of cultivation with a comparable climate.
CafeClima also includes a strain explorer where producers can see how different strains perform on a global level. This list can then be filtered by factors such as roa resistance level, tree height, and even how they are propagated.
According to the press release, switching to these more resistant species will require a multi-billion dollar investment, and CafeClima is committed to maximizing the return on that investment.
“The world must replace billions of coffee trees. The only thing more costly than inaction is action without insight,” says WCR CEO Dr. Jennifer “Vern” Long. “If the industry invests today in planting millions of trees that will not survive the 2040 climate, not only will we have lost capital – we have lost a crucial decade for the adaptation of the coffee sector.”
With less room for error in coffee production, the need to make astute decisions is more vital than ever. With CafeClima, farmers have access to personalized data and science-backed forecasts to make the best possible decisions that will not only lend a hand them survive, but also thrive in the years to come.
