How Climate Change
Affects Coffee Farming
February 4, 2020
By Carrie Klemencic
You can add your morning cup of coffee to the ever-growing list of climate change casualties. Rising global temperatures are causing erratic weather patterns and droughts in coffee-growing regions, which is leading to an overall decrease in coffee production. Researchers from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences predicted that by 2050, up to 88% of coffee-growing land in Latin America could be rendered unsuitable for farming. This means that in the near future, coffee will become a rare and expensive commodity.
As we mourn the decline of our favorite product, it’s worth pausing a moment to consider the implications for those who rely on coffee not as a morning pick-me-up, but as a way of life.
Coffee is the Cornerstone of a Guatemalan Community
Saqueo Ojpán Mende manages a coffee cooperative and café in San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala. The son of a coffee farmer, Saqueo views coffee as a regional pride and an important source of income for his community. “San Juaneros make everything we sell,” he says, “and we’re proud to support the local economy.” Saqueo works with 20-30 farming families to produce nearly 10,000 pounds of coffee per year. His cooperative, Café San Juan, sells coffee nationally and is renowned for its tangy palate.
The growing conditions in San Juan yield a unique blend of coffee. “The high altitude and fertile volcanic soil of the region give our coffee a delicious flavor,” explains Saqueo. His coffee has been lauded by travelers and locals alike.
Café San Juan is positioned right at the tourist entrance to his town. Every day, Saqueo sees customers from around the world, and their raving reviews confirm that his coffee is something special. “We want San Juan to be known internationally for the coffee we produce,” Saqueo says. His dream is to get his export license.
As Saqueo plans for the future, there is one glaring obstacle in his way. His day-to-day operation is overwhelmed by production shortages due to climate change.
The Impact of Climate Change on Guatemalan Coffee
In just one generation, coffee production has dramatically fallen in Guatemala. Saqueo reflects on this change, explaining, “when my father worked in the coffee fields, the land was fertile and production was magnificent. The rainy seasons have changed, though, and the amount of rain that we receive has decreased.”
The rainy season in Guatemala used to function like clockwork. Farmers could count on the showers to begin in April and end in October, so they planted and harvested coffee according to that timeline. However, Saqueo says that in recent years “it doesn’t rain for the necessary amount of time, or it rains at the wrong time during the planting season.” When this happens, the coffee grains are not able to grow to their accurate size and production is ruined.
Saqueo has also noticed an epidemic of Roya, or leaf rust. This fungus affects the leaves of coffee plants, causing them to decay and fall off. Fewer leaves mean a decrease in the plant’s ability to gather energy during photosynthesis, which has a negative impact on fruit production. Roya is not a new disease, as Saqueo explains, “when my father worked in the coffee fields, we always knew about Roya but it was not as big of a problem. Now it has almost entirely diminished our coffee production.”
Unfortunately, many small farmers don’t have access to the tools or resources that could save their land. When asked how his farmers are adapting to the challenges posed by climate change, Saqueo says that they still haven’t figured out a successful solution.
Citizens Can Take Action Against Climate Change
“We believe in climate change because we work the land. We notice this change, strongly, because it affects our job, our production, and our income,” says Saqueo.
San Juaneros understand the profound effects of climate change on the natural world. While farming practices haven’t changed, the citizens of San Juan are taking other measures to combat climate change. Saqueo says his community is taking significant steps to reduce their plastic use. “Each person has to monitor and reduce their plastic consumption,” he says, “Personally, each of us must see what we can do to help the climate.”
That goes for the rest of us, too. In addition to demanding government action to address climate change, there are lifestyle changes we can make starting today.