Coffee production could be cut by up to 50% by 2050 because of the effects of climate change, a report has found. The coffee industry is worth $19 billion worldwide, with more than 2.25 billion cups of coffee consumed every day, but the report, A Brewing Storm, showed unless action was taken, the effects of climate change would result in supply shortages and increased prices. John Connor, CEO of the Climate Institute which compiled the report, said there was a range of ways climate change was impacting coffee. “I guess it’s a story in other agricultural produce as well, but in particular for coffee,” he told ABC NewsRadio’s Sandy Aloisi. “It’s not just the heat, which is a big factor that is driving some of the regions where coffee is produced uphill. We’re also seeing a rise in the incidence of diseases in those areas,” he noted. It is also affecting productivity because the higher temperatures are affecting both the physical and mental health of those working on the coffee plantations, Connor said.
