Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
Issue link: http://freshcup.epubxp.com/i/59523
WARMING WORLD continued from page 47 example, his research indicates that by 2050, Nicaragua will lose 20 to 60 percent of the areas currently suitable for coffee. To extrapolate: Coffee farmers will need to move uphill, adapt or switch crops. This is potentially a body blow for specialty, whose value propo- sition is based on the uniqueness of an origin. In Veracruz, Mexico, for example, acidity is the basis of the local coffee's specialty designation. Laederach predicts changes around Veracruz that will force reduction and reloca- tion, which could then mean alterations in the area's signature acidity. This scenario may apply to other renowned domains such as Guatemala's Antigua, according to Laederach. The broad implications of climate change usually funnel to one end point: the cost of the cuppa. "Higher demand worldwide, com- bined with a smaller supply of quality worldwide, can only mean higher prices for consumers," says Perry. WHAT'S THE SOLUTION? As Perry's observations attest, farmers are taking matters into their own hands. But without a more comprehensive approach to the problem, individual actions won't amount to a hill of coffee beans. In a CIAT policy brief, Laederach and his colleagues wrote that "the entire coffee chain must restructure itself." Given the role of coffee in origin countries, "entire societies must adapt." Laederach believes future success begins with risk opportunity analysis (ROA), a methodology that helps threatened producers assess their options for adapting to site-specific challenges. This might include technological inputs, new partnerships or moving into a different high-value crop, with all the logistical consequences of that decision. He also believes that collaborative networks must be strengthened to keep people from falling into permanent pov- erty as a result of climate disruptions. Luis Fernando Samper, chief communications and marketing officer of the Bogota-based Colombian Coffee Growers Federation, agrees that solutions need to be local in order to account for the different types of change occurring within Colombia and other countries. His organization's "Climate Smart Growing" concept runs 54 meteorological monitoring stations in growing regions, with another 150 points that collect information on precipita- tion. The Federation intends to grow this capacity to 200 full stations, with results posted online for growers to use. "We need growers to be connected to the Internet, receiving and sharing information so that we can be useful in providing local solu- 48 Fresh Cup Magazine freshcup.com tions," Samper explains. To this end, the Federation is distrib- uting more than 4,000 tablets and encouraging a more con- nected culture among supply chain actors. "These efforts will help us optimize the use of our early warning systems for coffee leaf rust and coffee berry borer conditions, which allow growers to reduce infestation and infec- tions to maintain good phyto- sanitary conditions," he says. Meanwhile, Cenicafe, the ROUGH WEATHER AHEAD: A hurricane threatens off the coast of Mexico—just one example of increasingly volatile weather that is making life complicated for many coffee growers. Federation's research arm, is studying the coffee plant's ability to flower and be more produc- tive under a variety of climatic conditions. Cenicafe is also taking a fresh look at cultivation to fine-tune sun exposure guidelines and plantation densities in light of changing conditions. Optimizing shade management, adjusting the use of fertilizers and proactively addressing soil con- servation are also on Cenicafe's "to do" list. Already the research center has developed a drying system for small coffee growers, enabling them to circumvent what had become a bottleneck in the supply chain. The Federation is also talking with certification agencies to make sure that standards reflect what is really happening and what is possible. "We cannot demand additional shade trees in areas facing an excessive humid environment—that would create additional problems and funguses," Samper explains. Looking ahead, the Federation has been developing—and dis- tributing—Arabica varieties that are more tolerant of climate vari- ability and resistant to pests. It also consults with growers about the use of hybrids, advising them on aspects as wide ranging as the financial investment and intellectual property ramifications. On an even more arcane level, the Federation is acting on what all commentators agree is a crucial aspect of specialty's survival: linkages. "We can't do it alone," Samper admits, considering both the scope of climate-related impacts and the ambitions of the Federation. "So we are talking to government, multilateral banks, international cooperation agencies and even clients that are inter- ested in helping." Griswold of Sustainable Harvest admits that the present crisis is unprecedented, but he says the commitment to sustainable best practices and human empowerment that has driven his business is not unchanged by it. In fact, navigating the climate crisis plays to many of the strengths of the specialty coffee community— innovation, flexibility, a collaborative ethic and tremendous intel- lectual capital, to name a few. The key for Griswold is getting more technology and expertise into the hands of locals, empowering them to communicate and make decisions on their own. Like Samper and Laederach, he real- continued on page 50 NASA