Change is brewing in the coffee industry. What lies ahead?
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Coffee growers are dealing with a lot right now.
Most immediately, the Trump administration's tariffs, which threaten their sales, add to the ongoing challenges of pests and diseases for coffee production. In the longer term, experts say the coffee industry can't continue with business as usual. Growers face a waning labor force, and the areas where coffee can reliably grow are poised to shrink dramatically.
While your morning cup isn't going away anytime soon, it could become more expensive — and could taste different, too.
On this International Coffee Day, we're taking stock of the world of coffee and what to expect in the years to come.
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Climate change is shrinking the land where coffee can grow
Due to the effects of climate change, the land suitable for coffee farming could shrink by 50% by 2050, according to a 2014 study. The analysis found that "highly productive areas" in the two largest coffee-producing countries in the world, Brazil and Vietnam, "may become unsuitable for coffee in the future."
Much of the coffee i
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