With bees in coffee, Arabica revenue could grow by R$22 billion per year in Brazil

A study conducted by scientists from Embrapa Meio Ambiente (SP) and Syngenta Proteção de Croptivos in Brazil investigated the effect of introducing managed bee colonies into conventional coffee farms. The focus was on the yield, quality and market value of Arabica coffee. The results indicated that assisted pollination increases coffee productivity and quality, which could consequently increase annual Arabica revenue by up to R$22 billion. The data showed that the presence of the introduced bees increased productivity by 16.5%, rising from 32.5 to 37.9 bags per hectare. The quality of the coffee, assessed by the sensory score of the beverage, increased by 2.4 points, leading to the classification of beans from regular to special on some farms. This leap in quality increased the value of the bag by 13.15%, representing a gain of US$25.40 per bag (see details below). The research therefore pointed to the fact that assisted pollination can generate significant economic impacts on ...