Climate change poses serious risks to coffee production that require preparation and planning. High-income countries are largely responsible for greenhouse gas emissions but developing countries will bear most of the damages. To address this, stakeholders should obtain relevant literature on climate change and coffee, organize workshops to inform all parties, and plan adaptation strategies like monitoring changes, mapping climate impacts, and developing more resilient coffee varieties. International cooperation is also needed, as the costs of mitigation and adaptation vastly outweigh current funding levels.
2. Climate change is happeningWe have two choices Prepare for it Do nothing Obtain relevant literature Organize workshops to inform all relevant stakeholders Plan for the future Ignore the evidence Carry on as usual Hope it’s all based on wrong data
3. Some interesting facts High-income countries, with one-sixth of the world's population, are responsible for nearly two-thirds of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. However, Brazil produces more CO2 per head than Germany Whereas the Stern repost calculated that the agreed maximum tolerable 2°C rise in global temperature will cost about 1% of world GDP, the World Bank, in its new World Development Report now says the cost to Africa will be more like 4% of GDP and to India, 5% A study for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology forecast that yields of the main Indian crops would decline by a further 4.5-9% over the next 30 years because of climate change the United States and China account for more than 40 percent of carbon emissions, roughly divided between both.
4. Challenging times Climate-change policy is no longer a simple choice between growth and ecological well-being. It implies a whole redefinition of sustainability, taking into account an unstable environment High income countries are responsible for 64 percent of historical cumulative carbon emissions. Yet developing countries will bear up to 80 percent of the damages brought about by climate change.
5. So, what to do? Read ICO compilation of latest information on climate change and coffee and link with CoffeeClubNetwork Climate change and coffee community Check with local/national government agencies what programmes are already in place Check with international agencies such as UNFCCC Make sure coffee is present in the country’s National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) if you have one