A morning staple for millions of people around the world is coming under increased pressure due to rising global temperatures, and small farmers are sounding the alarm.
In Colombia, a nation long known for its coffee exports, many farmers find themselves replacing coffee plants with cacao, which can better withstand higher temperatures, according to Daily Coffee News. In the long run, this could lead to diminished coffee supplies and higher prices for what many consider to be an essential part of their daily routine.
What's happening?
As temperatures rise, farmers in Colombia are increasingly uprooting their coffee plants and replacing them with cacao, a plant better suited to a hotter environment. Those continuing to grow coffee must seek ever-higher elevations with the cooler temperatures in which coffee plants thrive.
"We replaced 95% of the coffee plants on the farm with cacao when we took over 5 years ago because it is easier to manage," Claudio Giraldo, a farmer in Colombia, told Daily Coffee News.
Previously, farms at higher elevations had been less than ideal for growing cacao due to the lower average temperatures. However, as global temperatures have increased, coffee growers have been pushed to higher altitudes while former coffee farms at lower elevations are replaced by crops like cacao.
"Before, anyone who wanted to grow cacao at 1,200 to 1,500 meters altitude was considered crazy," Orlando Quintero Gonzales, a Colombian agronomist, told Daily Coffee News. "Today with climate change reshaping agricultural landscapes, these altitudes could become optimal for this crop."
Why is a reduction in coffee farming important?
As global temperatures increase, a wide variety of crops no longer will be suitable to grow in areas where they traditionally have thrived, potentially leading to food instability and mass migration. In this sense, coffee is something of a canary in the coal mine, giving us an indication of what is in store for the future of the agricultural practices that feed the world.
While coffee might not seem as essential as, say, food crops, coffee remains one of the most in-demand commodities in the world. According to the Food Institute, coffee is the most popular beverage in America, with more Americans downing coffee than even bottled water.
In total, 66% of adult Americans drink coffee in 2025, up 7% from 2020.
However, even as coffee becomes more popular, the space allocated to growing coffee crops continues to diminish. In Colombia alone, the amount of land devoted to coffee farming has declined roughly 247,000 acres over the past decade, according to figures cited by Daily Coffee News.
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Not enough time ⏳ Simple economics dictate that if demand stays strong while supplies diminish, prices will inevitably go up, meaning that morning cup of Joe might start putting an even bigger dent in your wallet. This anticipated price increase has already begun to impact consumers, with Reuters reporting in November that coffee prices had reached a 47-year high.
What's being done about this?
In order to adjust to rising global temperatures, food production practices around the world are shifting dramatically, with the transition from coffee to cacao in Colombia marking just one of many significant examples.
With our global food system at threat due to changes in the environment, humans will need to continue to adapt both their cultivation and dietary habits to adjust to this new reality. To learn some of the ways that you and your family can adapt to rising food prices, check out the TCD Guide's page on shopping smarter at the grocery store.
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