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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
Click for more news covering the latest on climate change adaptation and sustainable agriculture
