Scientists rediscover lost coffee species suited to a warmer climate cbc.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cbc.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A rediscovered species brews promise for coffee s future
Updated:
Updated:
April 20, 2021 11:14 IST
Stenophylla was found to have a complex flavour profile, with natural sweetness, medium-high acidity, fruitiness and good body the way it feels in the mouth
Share Article
AAA
The coffee species Coffea stenophylla, which bears black fruit rather than the red fruit typical of the two coffee species that are widely grown commercially, is seen in Ivory Coast in this undated photograph. | Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Stenophylla was found to have a complex flavour profile, with natural sweetness, medium-high acidity, fruitiness and good body the way it feels in the mouth
‘Forgotten’ coffee species could help to futureproof the coffee industry under climate change
19/04/2021 - Press release
Scientists reveal that
Coffea stenophylla – a rare and threatened species from West Africa – has the potential to ensure the future of great-tasting coffee under climate change. The coffee, rediscovered in the wild in 2018 after years of searching, has the unique combination of tolerance to high temperatures and a superior flavour – throwing a lifeline to the multibillion dollar coffee industry, which is vulnerable to climate change. Results from an independent, professional tasting with panellists from Nespresso & Jacobs Douwe Egbert (JDE), show that the flavour of stenophylla is like high-end Arabica (Arabica is the world’s most popular coffee).
Dr. Aaron Davis is a botanist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. We re seeing, throughout the tropical coffee belt, increasing temperatures, but also more erratic rainfall and increased drought, he said.
Arabica beans make up more than half of the world s coffee, but scientists predict production could shrink by 50% in 30 years. So, the search is on for a future-proof plant.
Jeremy Torz is co-founder of Union Hand-Roasted Coffee.
“What we want is a tree that s relatively compact, that is drought resistant, that is climate tolerant and can give us a good yield with good flavor attributes, he said.
In the dense tropical rainforests of West Africa, the coffee crisis may have found its savior: Little black berries of the rare stenophylla plant.
Future proofing coffee
Coffee farming is under threat as global temperatures rise and extreme weather events affect areas where it is grown. However, experts believe that the newly rediscovered Stenophylla could be a game changer in terms of breeding resilient crops and providing a “superior flavour”.
Stenophylla thrives in hot-tropical areas at only 400m above sea level and is native to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. The hardy crop is thought to be drought-resistant.
“Future-proofing the coffee supply chain to deal with climate change is vital – coffee drives a multibillion dollar global industry, supports the economy of several tropical countries, and provides livelihoods for more than 100 million coffee farmers,” says Dr Aaron Davis, lead author of the report.