In a shocking research paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers estimated that the combined effect of climate change and bees population reduction, could reduced by 88% the areas in Latin America that produce coffee by the year 2050.
An scenario like this would heavily impact the life of millions of poor farmers that depend on coffee for income. The study underscores further the importance of sustainability when growing coffee. By buying only from farmers that produce coffee in an sustainable way, consumers have the power to mitigate this effect.
The study provides strategies to improve coffee growth and bee pollination for Latin American coffee farmers:
1. Increase bee habitats near coffee farms where bee diversity is expected to decrease.
2. Prioritize farming practices that reduce climate impacts on coffee production where bees are thriving, but where coffee suitability will decline.
3. Protect forests and maintain shade trees, windbreaks, live fences, weed strips, and native plants that provide food, nesting and other materials to support pollinators.