In the United States, about 50 percent of the population (150 million people) drink at least one cup of coffee daily. Many have (much) more than tha
t every morning. In a society where we are always on the run and barely have time to spend with our loved ones, coffee is the fuel that keeps us running. It might not be for long, though.
Brazil is currently the largest producer of coffee, but it has recently experienced a drought causing fields to yield less, combined with a high rate of deforestation. Thankfully for coffee drinkers, Indonesia and Honduras are expected have bountiful crops this year. But this situation may not last long enough for the conditions in Brazil to improve. With more coffee consumers coming out of traditional tea drinking countries, like China, India and the United Kingdom, coffee is projected to skyrocket in price in as little as three years.
Unfortunately, there’s not much any of us can do about the price of our beloved Joe. As for the future of the beans, however, experts believe that coffee varietals will continue to evolve as temperatures change, just as they’ve observed with wine grapes and even bananas. That prediction could be good news for regions not typically known for growing coffee – and is definitely good news for America’s caffeine addicts!