The Endangered Coffee Plant
Introduction
Coffee is more than just a beverage. Coffee is a massive global industry, a cultural staple, and for many of us, a daily ritual. Yet, behind the comforting aroma of your morning brew lies an uncomfortable truth: the plant that gives us coffee is under serious threat. According to a 2019 study by Davis, Chadburn, Moat, O'Sullivan, Hargreaves, and Lughadha, published in Science Advances, at least 60% of the world’s 124 known coffee species are at risk of extinction. That includes many wild species crucial to the long-term sustainability of coffee as both a crop and a cultural icon. It also includes the coffee we drink every day, our beloved Coffea arabica.
As a coffee professional, I believe understanding these risks is essential not just for those who grow or roast coffee, but for anyone who enjoys it. Together, it is our responsibility to ensure the future of the world’s favorite beverage. In this post, we’ll explore why so many coffee species are endangered, what it means for the future of coffee, and what industry stakeholders, from producers to consumers, can do to help.
What Do We Mean by "Endangered Coffee"?
When we talk about endangered coffee, we're primarily referring to wild coffee species, those that grow naturally in forests and remote ecosystems without human intervention. These wild plants are genetically distinct from the cultivated coffee species that dominate global production. While Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora (commonly known as Robusta) are both grown commercially, they also exist in the wild. It’s those wild populations that are increasingly at risk. Even cultivated coffee, though, isn’t immune. Climate change, disease, and habitat disruption threaten the long-term viability of both wild and farmed coffee.
Arabica and Robusta make up the majority of global coffee consumption but are only two of 124 known coffee species. Many of the remaining wild species grow in small, specific habitats, such as the mountain forests of Ethiopia or the lowland rainforests of Madagascar. These lesser-known species hold a vast reserve of untapped genetic diversity, including traits like heat and drought tolerance, resistance to pests and disease, and distinctive flavor characteristics. As climate conditions continue to shift, these traits may become essential for improving the resilience and adaptability of cultivated coffee.
Why Are Coffee Plants Endangered?
There are three driving forces behind the Coffea plant’s placement on the endangered species list. Those are: 1) climate change, 2) habitat loss and deforestation, and 3) pests, diseases, and genetic homogeneity.
1. Climate Change
Arabica coffee in particular is highly sensitive to changes in temperature and rainfall. A study by Bunn et al. (2015) projected that by 2050, up to 50% of land currently used to grow Arabica could become unsuitable due to rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns. Wild species, which often have broader environmental tolerances, are therefore vital as sources of genetic material to breed new, climate-resilient cultivars.
2. Habitat Loss and Deforestation
The natural habitats of wild coffee species are rapidly disappearing. In Ethiopia, where Arabica coffee originated and where many wild species still grow, forest cover has declined dramatically over the past several decades. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Ethiopia lost over 2 million hectares of forest between 2001 and 2020. Many coffee species exist in only one or two locations, making them highly vulnerable to habitat destruction.
Moreover, coffee-producing regions are often located within globally recognized biodiversity hotspots, which are defined as areas rich in endemic species but highly threatened by human activity. Madagascar, for example, hosts over 60 endemic coffee species and faces significant deforestation due to slash-and-burn agriculture and logging. The protection of wild coffee in these regions doesn’t just preserve coffee, it also safeguards entire ecosystems.
3. Pests, Diseases, and Genetic Homogeneity
Leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix), a fungal disease, devastated Central American coffee farms between 2012 and 2014, causing a 17% drop in production and over 374,000 job losses (International Coffee Organization, 2013). Cultivated Arabica plants are genetically narrow, making them especially susceptible to such outbreaks. In contrast, wild coffee species often carry traits for disease resistance and pest tolerance, making them critical to breeding programs aimed at increasing crop resilience.
Adding to the challenge is the risk of genetic bottlenecks in breeding programs. As breeders increasingly focus on a handful of high-performing hybrid cultivars, the diversity of the gene pool narrows, reducing the crop's long-term adaptability. Without continual input from wild species, coffee breeding may eventually reach a ceiling, unable to respond to new diseases or climatic extremes.
The Importance of Wild Coffee for Sustainability
Wild coffee species are, in many ways, the genetic toolbox for the future of the crop. They contain genes for drought tolerance, heat resistance, pest and disease resilience, and even unique flavor characteristics. For example, Coffea stenophylla, a little-known West African species, has shown both heat tolerance and high cup quality, including a naturally sweet profile and complex acidity, making it a potential alternative to Arabica in warming climates (Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, 2021). This particular species of coffee from Sierra Leone is worth deeper examination in another blog post later.
Without access to these wild genes, breeders and researchers are limited in how they can adapt coffee to future challenges. Losing wild species means losing the potential to develop coffees that can thrive under increasingly difficult growing conditions.
A related concern is the strategy for preserving this diversity. Conservation efforts must balance in situ (in the wild) preservation with ex situ (in seed banks or botanical gardens) techniques. While seed banks help store genetic material for future use, many coffee species do not store well as seeds or require specific conditions to germinate. Therefore, protecting coffee plants in their natural habitat is often more effective but also more difficult due to habitat destruction and lack of funding.
What Can Be Done?
The concept of coffee as an endangered species is well-documented and supported throughout the scientific community. The question emerges then: what can be done? My research led me to four specific methods for preserving the Coffea plant: 1) conservation and habitat protection, 2) support for coffee research, 3) sustainable farming practices, and 4) consumer awareness and engagement.
1. Conservation and Habitat Protection
Protecting the ecosystems where wild coffee grows is essential. This includes designating forest areas as protected zones, promoting sustainable land use, and supporting reforestation programs. Conservation organizations like the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have established seed banks and in-situ preservation efforts to maintain wild coffee populations. However, as mentioned before, the preservation of wild habitats is often more effective than man-made storage techniques.
2. Support for Coffee Research
Organizations such as World Coffee Research are investing in breeding programs that use wild species to develop resilient hybrids. These efforts include F1 hybrids and other cultivars that combine high yield, disease resistance, and cup quality.
3. Sustainable Farming Practices
Farmers and cooperatives can adopt agroforestry and shade-grown models that support biodiversity. These practices help preserve the microclimates and ecosystems where wild coffee thrives.
4. Consumer Awareness and Engagement
As consumers, we can support roasters and brands that prioritize sustainability and ethical sourcing. Look for coffee and roasters that prioritizes environmental and community health.
Final Thoughts
Coffee is a plant, a product, and a livelihood. But it’s also part of a delicate ecological network that is becoming increasingly fragile. The wild species that most people have never heard of may hold the key to whether future generations will enjoy the same quality and diversity of coffee that we do today.
We still have time to act. By protecting wild coffee species and supporting sustainable practices, we can help ensure the future of coffee, not just as a commodity, but as a craft, a culture, and a connection between people and planet.
References
Bunn, C., Laderach, P., Rivera, O. O., & Kirschke, D. (2015). A bitter cup: climate change profile of global production of Arabica and Robusta coffee. Climatic Change, 129(1-2), 89-101. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-014-1306-x
Davis, A. P., Chadburn, H., Moat, J., O'Sullivan, R., Hargreaves, S., & Lughadha, E. N. (2019). High extinction risk for wild coffee species and implications for coffee sector sustainability. Science Advances, 5(1), eaav3473. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aav3473
FAO. (2020). Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org/forest-resources-assessment
International Coffee Organization. (2013). Report on the outbreak of coffee leaf rust in Central America and Mexico. https://www.ico.org/documents/cy2012-13/ed-2157e-report-clr.pdf
 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (2021). Forgotten coffee species and the futureproofing of the industry against climate change. https://www.kew.org/about-us/press-media/forgotten-coffee-species-futureproofing-industry-against-climate-change