Have You Heard of These Coffee Species?

You might have heard the word Arabica. Plenty of labels you see in the grocery store advertise 100% Arabica beans. However, most coffee you have ever tasted has been mostly Arabica. In fact, in the current coffee market, there’s only one other option. Today’s coffee industry is dominated by two species of coffee and both are under threat due to climate change.

In 2021, Arabica accounted for 57% of the coffee market, though it used to be more. Coffea arabica is thought to be between 500,000 to 1 million years old, but it was first cultivated in Yemen in the pre-Islamic era. Arab scholars recorded that the brew helped them work longer hours, a tradition that continues among college students to this day. It is considered the first species of coffee to ever be cultivated by humans. This species of coffee is known for the balanced flavor of sweetness, acidity, and bitterness we know and love.

The Arabica plant requires forest cover and it is extremely sensitive to temperature changes. Due to climate change and deforestation, the regions in the world where Arabica can be grown dwindle year after year. In addition to this, the coffee berry borer, coffee’s predominant pest, looks to benefit from climate change. Warming temperatures in high altitudes make it easier for the pest to reach areas where coffee is grown. Because of this, coffea arabica is on the endangered species list, despite its current population of 13.5-19.5 billion.

Robusta, or coffea canephora, is responsible for most of the remaining 43% of the market. It is cheaper to produce and less susceptible to pests. It has double the caffeine and half the sugar of Arabica, which gives it a distinct earthy and bitter flavor. For a long time, it has been considered inferior to Arabica because it lacks acidity and sweetness. However, it is often used in blends to give them a strong finish and in espresso and instant coffee. Italian coffee culture particularly finds the bitter flavors desirable in traditional espresso blends. In recent years, the stigma around Robusta is beginning to fade, especially as climate change threatens its more delicate competitor. However, recent studies have indicated that even Robusta may be in danger from rapidly changing temperatures.

Outside these main contributors, there is a distant third, which has received some press as coffee professionals look for alternatives. Coffea liberica occupies about 1.5% of the commercial market. Liberica owes its current position to an epidemic of leaf rust in the 1890s which decimated the Arabica population. While most producers in Africa at the time switched to Robusta, many producers in Southeast Asia switched to Liberica. Today, Liberica accounts for 70% of the market in the Philippines.

Liberica is more resistant to leaf rust than Arabica and Robusta, and it produces the largest beans of any species of coffee. It is sweeter than Arabica and is often roasted very light. It is described as having a tea-like finish. More markets are showing interest in the species, but its rarity means it remains quite expensive. Additionally, the crop yield is much lower than its competitors, which makes it less attractive for producers.

The USDA’s rule of thumb is that roughly 1% of a crop’s production value should be reinvested in breeding and genetic improvement. Coffee’s production value across the globe is $18 billion. It’s hard to quantify exactly how much investment in crop improvement there is annually, but the most liberal of estimates have it at about $80 billion a year, less than half of what it should be. Coffee is facing an uphill battle, and like so many issues today, there are no simple answers. However, importers, producers, and coffee professionals around the world are all working on new solutions every day.