New Study Questions Robusta’s Climate Resilience

A newly published study appears to dispute the commonly held belief that Robusta coffee is inherently more resistant to the negative effects of climate change than other coffee varieties.

Published on Thursday in the Wiley Journal Sustainable Development, the study challenges those who have been championing Robusta as a way of “future-proofing” the coffee industry.

Robusta is often viewed as a cheaper and inferior coffee species in comparison with Arabica. Still, it represents a large portion of annual coffee supply, with Brazil and Vietnam producing most of the tens of millions of bags traded each year.

Until now, research has focused on Robusta as more heat- and drought-resistant, and therefore not susceptible to climate change. However, citing research errors, the new study points out that previous conclusions should be regarded as provisional at best. 

In an interview with Reuters, the study’s lead author, Aaron Davis, senior research leader of crops and global change at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, referred to the idea of Robusta being more climate resilient as an “internet myth.”

“I found it troubling that people weren’t interpreting the science correctly and that they were advocating robusta as the savior of the coffee sector under climate change,” Davis said. “Robusta is more heat-tolerant than arabica, but it’s drought-intolerant.”

Coming at a time when demand for Robusta coffee is skyrocketing, the study’s findings offer a sobering reality check for farmers, traders and consumers worldwide. A Vietnamese official was quoted earlier this month as saying that adapting to climate change is no longer a future problem but an urgent necessity to maintain output.

The study concludes that successful Robusta cultivation requires an environment with “year-round soil water availability.” And in the top Robusta-producing nations of Brazil, Vietnam and India, farmers must rely on irrigation. This will become increasingly unsustainable as climate change puts pressure on water resources.