Enhancing the climate resilience of coffee production.

Abstract

Abstract Climate change is adversely affecting coffee production, impacting both yields and quality. Coffee production is dominated by the cultivation of Arabica and Robusta coffee, species that represent 99% of production, but both species will be affected by climate change. Sustainable management practices that can enhance the resilience of production are urgently needed, as coffee production supports the livelihoods of over 25 million people across the world, the majority of whom are smallholder farmers located in the coffee belt spanning the tropics. We conducted a systematic review, identifying 78 studies that describe agro-ecological practices that have potential to enhance climate resilience. Adverse environmental impacts include a reduction in area suitable for production, lower yields, increased intensity and frequency of extreme climate events, and greater incidence of pests and diseases. Potential environmental solutions include altitudinal shifts, the introduction of new, more resilient cultivars, altering agrochemical inputs, and integrating agroforestry. However, financial, environmental and technical constraints limit the availability of many of these approaches to farmers, particularly smallholder producers. There is therefore an urgent need to address these barriers through appropriate policy mechanisms in order to continue meeting growing demand for coffee.