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For all those who rely on that cup of coffee to make you go in the morning, here's another one that you open your eyes: most of the wild coffee could become extinct.
This information is courtesy of a new study where it is discovered that about 60% of wild coffee species are at risk of extinction. We do not often drink these wild and unpleasant strains, but they could help our beloved Arabica beans and robust to adapt to climate change, resist pests and keep diseases away.
The study on the risks of extinction of coffee, which examined 124 different species, was published today in the journal Scientific progress.
Prepared for perfection
Your poison could be lattes, frappuccinos or macchiatos, but most coffee drinks have one thing in common: their beans. The famous Arabica species make up 60 percent of the coffee traded in the world, with the sturdy stock dragging behind 40 percent. People have been cultivating them for hundreds of years for their soft and delicate taste.
The recent increases in drought and disease, however, are putting our beloved beans at risk. But fortunately, there are species of wild coffee with harder stretches that allow them to survive in difficult conditions. Through hybridization and hybridization, we could mix wild and domesticated species to create a coffee that is both tasty and resilient.
To do so, however, we must know the prevalence and growth rates of wild races. Thus Aaron P. Davis, a senior research leader at the Royal Botanic Gardens in the United Kingdom, began studying extinction risks for all 124 known species of coffee.
High extinction
With a team of researchers, Davis analyzed over 5,000 data points, mainly from species records and field observations. They examined factors such as population decline, deforestation and the general quality of habitat. In total, they found that 75 species of wild coffee, or 60 percent, are threatened with extinction. They have grown and adapted to life in nature for centuries, but due to deforestation, their natural habitats and populations continue to decline. Loss of habitats is among the most serious threats to most endangered species, the researchers say.
To combat these numbers and ensure the long-term survival of Arabica and Robusta, researchers outline two necessary actions: collect wild strains for hybridization and ensure they grow in protected areas, such as national parks and nature reserves. But in their research they found that 45% of wild species are not harvested and 28% do not grow in protected areas.
Just because they are avoiding pests, plant diseases and adaptation to climate change does not mean they are immune to extinction. Many wild species grow poorly and in limited places, and if we do not store and protect them, our precious beers may be at risk. And consequently, our morning sanity.
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