A new literature review led by researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, challenges the widely held assumption that Robusta coffee offers a straightforward solution to climate change disruptions affecting Arabica production. The analysis, published in the journal Sustainable Development, argues that claims of climate resiliency for commercially farmed Robusta are often misguided due to current agricultural practices.
The study contrasts the natural habitat of wild Robusta with its modern cultivation. Wild Robusta evolved in consistently wet African tropical environments with ample soil moisture. However, many major commercial growing regions, such as those in Vietnam and Brazil, lack these conditions and depend heavily on irrigation. These two countries provide approximately 65% of global Robusta exports, and in Brazil's key state of Espírito Santo, an estimated 90% of the crop is irrigated. This reliance on external water sources, the authors contend, is unsustainable.
According to the researchers, intensive irrigation, combined with low shade cover and high synthetic fertilizer use, conflicts with industry goals for sustainability, biodiversity, and a low-carbon economy. The paper does not suggest abandoning Robusta, which accounts for over 40% of the global coffee trade. Instead, it calls for a more strategic approach, including expanding cultivation into regions that better match the species' natural water requirements and advancing climate-focused crop development.