Due to deforestation and climate change wild coffee plants are losing the habitats they need for continued survival. Researchers say that 60% of all coffee plant species are in danger of extinction and 45% don't have seeds being stored in a germplasm collection to preserve them in case of the species disappearing. Even the most popular grind, Arabica, is on the list of endangered species.
While you may think that your cup of coffee is safe researchers and biologists agree that the wild species of coffee are important to the genetic diversity we see in commercially produced coffee. The genetic diversity of coffee is important for pest control and resistance to changes in the climate, as is the case with any widely produced crop. This means that the thinning of Coffee species could make your cup of coffee more expensive to produce, and therefore more expensive to purchase.
It's very costly to keep coffee seeds safely stored for long periods of time so the disappearance of the habitats that wild coffee plants thrive in could spell the end to our favorite morning beverage. While this topic shouldn't be the explanation point to the disappearance of world-wide ecosystems, it should certainly be a wake up call.
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