Why Biodiversity Matters To Your Daily Cup Of Coffee: Preserving The Birthplace Of Wild Arabica Coffee In Ethiopia’s Highlands
From: worldbank.org
BONGA, Ethiopia – Nestled in the dense rainforest of the Kafa Biosphere Reserve in southwest Ethiopia are thousands of genetic variants of coffee – an important seed bank of wild Arabica that faces extinction as a result of climate change.
Preserving Ethiopia’s prized Arabica coffee is key not only for coffee drinkers worldwide, but also for the estimated 15 million people in Ethiopia whose livelihoods depend on it. Ethiopia is Africa’s biggest coffee producer and the world’s fifth largest exporter. In 2018, Ethiopia’s coffee production was 7.5 million 60 kg bags, according to the International Coffee Organization.
