Coffea stenophylla
GS PAPER III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Context: In dense tropical forests in Sierra Leone, scientists have rediscovered a coffee species not seen in the wild in decades — a plant they say may help secure the future of this valuable commodity that has been imperiled by climate change.
- The coffee species Coffea stenophylla, which bears black fruit rather than the red fruit typical of the two coffee species that are widely grown commercially, is seen in Ivory Coast.
About Coffea stenophylla:
- Stenophylla was found to have a complex flavour profile, with natural sweetness, medium-high acidity, fruitiness and good "body".
- It possesses greater tolerance for higher temperatures than the Arabica coffee that makes up 56% of global production and the robusta coffee that makes up 43%.
- The stenophylla coffee, have a superior flavour, similar to Arabica.
- Stenophylla was farmed in parts of West Africa and exported to Europe until the early 20th century before being abandoned as a crop after robusta's introduction.
- Arabica's flavour is rated as superior and brings higher prices than robusta, which is mainly used for instant coffee and coffee blends.
- But Arabica has limited resilience to climate change and research has shown its global production could fall by at least 50% by mid-century.
- Stenophylla grows at a mean annual temperature of 24.9℃ — 1.9℃ higher than robusta coffee and up to 6.8°C higher than Arabica coffee
- Stenophylla could be used, with minimum domestication, as a high-value coffee for farmers in warmer climates.
- It is an important resource for breeding a new generation of climate-resilient coffee crop plants, given that it possesses a great flavour and heat tolerance.
- Stenophylla is threatened with extinction amid large-scale deforestation in the three countries where it has been known to grow in the wild: Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast.
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