As if the constant warnings of climate change’s drastic effects on the environment and economy haven’t been enough, the global issue is posing another great threat, this time to the world of coffee. Coffee enthusiasts beware, a recent study has shown that increasing temperatures across Africa due to climate change will favour the development and growth of a species of pest called the coffee berry borer. This species of beetle, as its name suggests, burrows into the berries of coffee plants and lays its eggs inside the seeds. It is these seeds that are roasted to make coffee, and thus the beetle is able to destroy whole crops of coffee by multiplying exponentially and destroying all the berries. The coffee berry borer requires a temperature from 20 — 30°C to develop from egg to adulthood, and the study indicates that as temperatures have risen due to climate change, so too have the populations of this pest. Before 1984 the temperatures were too low for the pest to get out of hand, but this is no longer the case, and with every single degree rise in temperature, the rate of coffee berry borer proliferation will increase by 8.5 per cent. It is suspected that by the year 2050, conditions will greatly favour the borer’s reproductive cycle and destruction of coffee crops. This comes as shocking news to coffee lovers all over the world, as not only will this place their favourite morning beverage at risk of destruction, but the move of farmers to higher altitudes to escape the pest and grow their crops of coffee will result in a dramatic price increase trickling down to the consumer. Coffee farmers will have to compete with other crops for land, and see a decreased yield overall, and possibly not be able to meet demands. Researchers are yet to study the impact of climate change on the majority of coffee pests, and there may be more than just the destructive berry borer to deal with if the change in temperature favours other pests too, leading to a very bleak outlook for the world of coffee. Farmers have been advised on methods to limit the effect of the pest on their crops through companion planting with larger trees that shade and obscure the plants. This is just another of the many impacts climate change is having on the world, stressing the need to form plans to combat the problems faced, but unless a viable way to reverse climate change can be discovered, it may not be possible to curb the damage it is causing. Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society