Helping Sumatran Farmers Respond to Climate Change

July 23, 2012

Posted by Ann B. - Global Responsibility manager

The effects of climate change are far-reaching, and farmers around the world are especially sensitive to the impact. Traditional farming strategies may not yield the same results, and farmers now contend with an increasing number of variables that can affect coffee production.

Conservation International’s Sumatra program manager Fazrin Rahmadani is witnessing this firsthand. “In the past, a stable climate in Sumatra minimized instances of pests and diseases, helped regulate the rainy season and made it easier to predict fertilization periods for coffee,” writes Rahmadani. Today, unexpected changes question tried and true farming methods and introduce new challenges. The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei), for instance, has begun “expanding to higher altitudes and posing a growing threat to coffee crops.”

With the help of our partners at Conservation International, it’s our goal to help farmers address these challenges as they arise through our C.A.F.E. Practices program. Helping farmers thrive in the midst of a changing climate is fundamental to our mission statement, and helps to secure the future of the thing we are most passionate about: incredible coffee.

Read Rahmadani’s full blog entry here to learn how Starbucks and Conservation International are working together on a pilot approach to helping farmers respond to the effects of climate change without sacrificing the principles of high-quality, climate-friendly coffee production.