How much caffeine is too much?
For some, a cup of coffee for £5 in London or $7 in New York might seem unthinkable. But thanks to a “perfect storm” of economic and environmental factors in the world’s largest coffee-producing region, it could soon become a reality.
Analyst Judy Gaines said prices for unroasted coffee beans traded on global markets are currently at “historically high levels.”
Experts cite crop damage, market conditions, declining stocks and the world’s smelliest fruit as possible causes.
So how did we get here, and how will this impact your morning latte?
In 2021, unusual frosts devastated coffee crops in Brazil, the world’s largest producer of Arabica beans, which are commonly used in barista-brewed coffee.
This bean shortage means buyers are turning to countries like Vietnam, a major producer of robusta beans commonly used in instant blends.
But farmers there face the region’s worst drought in nearly a decade.
Climate change is affecting the development of coffee trees, which in turn affects coffee bean yields, according to Will Purse, a coffee consultant in Ho Chi Minh City.
Then Vietnamese farmers began growing durian, a smelly yellow fruit.
