Thread: Coffee supplies hit by rising demand, climate change

Mar 01, 2010

Coffee supplies hit by rising demand, climate change

More coffee drinking coupled with climate change have reduced supplies of beans, producers said at an international conference over the weekend.

"There is already evidence of important changes," said Nestor Osorio, the head of the International Coffee Organization, which represents 77 countries that export or import beans. "In the last 25 years the temperature has risen half a degree in coffee producing countries, five times more than in the 25 years before."

Warming temperatures have forced growers to seek higher, pricier land, where higher-quality beans are grown.

The World Coffee Conference ended yesterday in Guatemala. Sustainability was the focus.

"Land and water are being fought over by food and energy producers," he said. "We need to make an assessment to guarantee the sustainability of and demand for coffee production."

Osorio said that between October and January, exports were down more than 9% from a year ago.

Keep a caffeinated eye on the price of that latte.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... e-change/1

Herbal tea, like Red Zinger, is pretty good. But will rush out and buy a few pounds of coffee for emergencies.