Australia: Climate change concerns for latte lovers and flat white fans

Extreme weather has steadily increased across the top 12 coffee producing regions globally over the past 40 years, putting vulnerable crops at risk. New research from the CSIRO and University of Southern Queensland suggests concurrent climate hazards could impact international supplies. Study lead Doug Richardson said extreme weather conditions could result in a mass shortage. “We’re pretty confident climate change is playing a role in this because the main problem used to be conditions were too cool and now they’re often too warm and that aligns with what we know about the impacts of climate change,” he said. “Coffee crops can fail if the annual average temperature and rainfall is not within an optimal range.” About three in four Australians enjoy at least one cup of coffee per day, according to data from research company McCrindle. Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the nation is one of the world’s biggest coffee importers, spending nearly $700 million on coffee products ...