As warming climate hits coffee crops, this rare bean brews interest

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on POLITICO or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: A rare coffee species, excelsa, originally discovered in South Sudan over a century ago, is gaining attention as climate change threatens global coffee production
• Farmers in Nzara County, South Sudan, are embracing excelsa as a potential economic lifeline
• The species is drawing international interest due to its climate resilience and unique flavor profile 

🔭 The context: Coffee-producing countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam are struggling with droughts and extreme weather, leading to record-high prices
• Excelsa, which thrives in harsher conditions, could offer an alternative to more vulnerable coffee varieties like arabica and robusta
• However, scaling production in South Sudan remains challenging due to limited infrastructure and ongoing instability (See sustainability performance of companies like Starbucks, Lavazza and Valio)

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Climate-resistant crops like excelsa offer hope for sustaining coffee production in a warming world
• Its success could reduce pressure on traditional coffee-growing regions, helping to preserve biodiversity and support smallholder farmers
• South Sudan’s entry into the global coffee market may also bring economic opportunities to one of the world’s poorest nations

⏭️ What's next: International investors and researchers are exploring ways to cultivate excelsa at scale, but challenges like supply chain development and political stability must be addressed
• If successful, excelsa could diversify the global coffee industry and provide a sustainable solution to rising coffee shortages
• Local farmers, like Catherine Bashiama, are hopeful that this crop will lift their families out of poverty

💬 One quote: “I want to send my children to school so they can be the future generation.” — Catherine Bashiama, South Sudanese coffee farmer

📈 One stat: Global coffee prices have hit their highest levels in decades due to climate-related crop failures in major producing countries

See here detailed sustainability performance of companies like Starbucks, Lavazza and Valio

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