Coffee could become a luxury in the UK if businesses do not help farmers, experts say.
Climate change and historically low prices are forcing coffee producers in Peru to abandon their crops and turn to other sources of income.
The delicate Arabica bean, which is used in Briton’s flat whites and cappucinos, is being farmed on ever-higher and cooler land as temperature increases make more and more land unsuitable for growing the plant.
Experts say that by 2050, up to half of the land used to grow coffee globally may be rendered unsuitable for this purpose.
This could lead to increased deforestation, as well as causing coffee prices to rocket as production volumes decrease.
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Catherine David, head of commercial partnerships at Fairtrade, said: “I think if we don’t invest now then coffee could become a luxury, longer term.
“Because if 50% of land currently used for coffee isn’t going to be suitable for it by 2050, and coffee farmers are abandoning their farms, there simply won’t be enough coffee, and so we could, conceivably, get to a point where coffee is no longer available for, say, £1.50 at Greggs, but becomes a premium product for only those who can afford to enjoy it.”
Ms David said that if more of the public were aware of the situation, they would be “scandalised that brands, retailers and coffee shops that they are buying their coffee from aren’t doing more”.
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She said the UK public “really expect businesses to be paying a fair price for their coffee – this isn’t a nice-to-have for them”.
Coffee producers have been hit with problems including leaf rust disease, which covers the plant’s leaves with orange dust and causes them to fall off, preventing it from photosynthesising.
A devastating outbreak of the disease wiped out crops in Piura five years ago, leading coffee production in the area to shrink from 80% to 20%.
Many farmers are turning to different – but often lower-quality – varieties which are more resilient.
Segundo Alejandro Guerrero Mondragon and his family farm coffee in the area and have been forced to start planting on higher land.
The 72-year-old, whose family have been farming coffee for more than 100 years, says: “Our area used to be free of all types of disease.
“Lately we were managing to partly control brown eye, but when we got rust it was a largely unknown disease and really concerned us, it hit us really hard and there was a huge drop in production.
“For me it was very disappointing, we had coffee plantations with a really good crop and we were left with next to nothing, it was almost completely destroyed.
“I was a little bit lucky because of my children (three are agronomists) who helped to manage the crop and for the greater part managed to control the fungus. Others were left with nothing.”
Sefelmira Alberca Pangalima is a single mother who is struggling to support her two daughters with her dwindling, disease-ridden coffee crop.
She told PA: “Sometimes we plant coffee but a disease that comes in on the wind or something, I don’t know, they dry out.
“We plant them, and they start well and then they wither.
“But in the future, I hope to produce enough coffee and then perhaps join an organisation and sell at a better price.”
