Not so robust: robusta coffee more sensitive to warming than previously thought

(International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)) A new study of the plant that produces robusta coffee suggests its heat tolerance has been consistently overestimated. Worse yet, when temperatures just slightly cross this point, yields plummet. The findings suggest the multibillion-dollar coffee industry could be facing a much tougher future on even a slightly warmer planet. The study's findings contrast with current estimates, based on historical botanical explorations in Central Africa, that had suggested robusta had a higher temperature tolerance.
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news