Coffee is a favorite drink of many adults, and Colombia is famous for its coffee. But Earth’s changing climate is making it hard for farmers who grow coffee there. The country is facing heavy rains and droughts. Also, rising temperatures are helping spread harmful insects and fungi.
One troublesome pest is the coffee berry borer, a tiny beetle that lays its eggs inside coffee cherries and destroys the fruits. A fungal disease called coffee leaf rust is another problem for coffee growers. Thanks to a warming climate, both of these pests have now spread to higher altitudes where coffee grows best.
Luckily, scientists at the Cenicafé coffee research center are on the case. The coffee scientists work with farmers to develop coffee varieties resistant to diseases and climate change. One of their challenges is that coffee pests like the borer beetle are evolving. The scientists have to keep developing new coffee varieties to keep up with the changing pests and climate.
Since the 1980s, Cenicafé has developed 15 disease-resistant coffee varieties. Today, 87.5% of Colombia’s coffee production is grown from their disease and pest-resistant varieties. This difficult work takes a long time! “Creating a new variety takes more than 20 years,” explains coffee researcher Claudia Florez.
The coffee scientists try to anticipate what problems coffee might face in the future. They create new coffee varieties that are ready when problems emerge. “It’s like a football team: We have reserve players ready to step in if one is affected,” says Claudia.
David Brown adapted this story for Mongabay Kids. It is based on an article by Victor Raison, published on Mongabay News.
