(Coffee as lead indicator for sustainable commodity crops) SKOV Seminar, Herbert van der Vossen, 2.12.2015
About 85% of the people in Holland drink coffee daily P R E A M B L E Why? It s the caffeine stupid! (paraphrasing Bill Clinton) Mild stimulant of the CNS that improves: cognitive performance and mental processing wakefulness work performance and mood muscular endurance in work and sports blood flow in heart and kidneys metabolic rate (fat burning) Without this benign drug social and economic activities in many countries would rapidly grind to a halt!
Coffea arabica Origin: Ethiopia Coffea canephora Origin: C. & W. Africa
Coffee Production 2014 (8.5 M t, 12.5 M ha, >50 countries) 7 6 8 10 2 5 3 56.6 % 11.9 % 9 4 1 31.5 % Most important countries: 1 (Brazil) 10 (Honduras) = 86 % of W. C. Pr. % share in W. C. Pr. by Latin America, Africa and Asia
World coffee production 2014: 60 % 40%
Coffee supply chain: from plant tot cup Total annual turnover: > US$ 100 billion Value of exported green coffee: US$ 18 billion in 2014 (smallholder farmgate revenues only 50 60%)
Coffee One of the most valuable agricultural commodities 70 % of all coffee produced by smallholder farmers Coffee provides livelihoods to 20 25 million rural families Women comprise half the workforce in coffee production Retaining the rural youth in coffee production major problem
Coffee production and consumption in 2020 Predicted growth in demand 15% or 1.3 Mt to 9.9 Mt Overall mean yield in 2014 was 680 kg/ha green coffee Another 1.9 Mha new land required, mostly by deforestation Narrowing the yield gap by 16 17 % to 800 kg/ha is a sustainable alternative
Major aspects of narrowing the yield gap in coffee Soil quality and nutrient balance Shade (agroforestry) or no shade (sun-coffee) Control of diseases (host resistance) and pests (IPM) Crop management (access to information and training) Harvesting and primary processing (berries to green beans) Climate change impact (temperatures, drought, excess rain) Farmer s income (profitability, price volatilty, access to credits) Fair trade, organic farming and other certification systems
per ha/year N kg P kg K Kg Green beans (1.0 t dry weight) 40 4 45 Pulp + parchment (1.25 t dry) 35 7 53 Vegetative growth 60 5 22 Total Crop related output 135 105 16 13 120 107 (Van der Vossen, 2005)
per ha/year Out (crop) 105 13 107 (non-crop) 20 2 15 In (shade litter) 40 12 40 Balance -85-3 -82 N kg P kg K kg
per ha/year Out (crop) 105 13 107 (non-crop) 40 4 30 In (5 t mulch) 75 13 175 Balance -70-4 38 N kg P kg K kg
Major aspects of narrowing the yield gap in coffee Soil quality and nutrient balance Shade (agroforestry) or no shade (sun-coffee) Control of diseases (host resistance) and pests (IPM) Crop management (access to information and training) Harvesting and primary processing (berries to green beans) Climate change impact (temperature, drought, excess rainfall) Farmer s income (profitability, price volatilty, access to credits) Fair trade, organic farming and other certification systems
Coffee in Ethiopia
Arabica coffee with (India) en without (Costa Rica) shade trees
Major aspects of narrowing the yield gap in coffee Soil quality and nutrient balance Shade (agroforestry) or no shade (sun-coffee) Control of diseases (resistance) and pests (IPM) Crop management (access to information and training) Harvesting and primary processing (berries to green beans) Climate change impact (temperature, drought, excess rainfall)
Coffee Leaf Rust, CLR, Hemileia vastatrix)
Coffee Berry Disease, CBD, Colletotrichum kahawae
Results of breeding for host resistance to CBD and CLR in arabica coffee in Kenya (1971 1985) cv. KP423 susceptible to CBD + CLR F1 hybrid cv. Ruiru II resistant to CBD + CLR
Major aspects of narrowing the yield gap in coffee Soil quality and nutrient balance Shade (agroforestry) or no shade (sun-coffee) Control of diseases (host resistance) and pests (IPM) Crop management (information and training) Harvesting, primary processing (berries to beans) Climate change impact (temperature, drought, excess rainfall) Farmer s income (profitability, price volatilty) Fair trade, organic farming and other certification systems
T T & T of crop management Nursery practices: seedlings, rooted cuttings Field preparation, spacing, planting Weeding, mulching, pruning, Control of diseases and pests Harvesting and primary processing
Major aspects of narrowing the yield gap in coffee Soil quality and nutrient balance Shade (agroforestry) or no shade (sun-coffee) Control of diseases (host resistance) and pests (IPM) Crop management (access to information and training) Harvesting, primary processing (berries to beans) Climate change impact (temperature, drought, excess rainfall) Farmer s income (profitability, price volatilty) Fair trade, organic farming and other certification systems
Coffee: harvesting and primary processing 2. Pulping 3. Sundrying of parchment 1.Hand-picking ripe berries 4. Hulling 5. Green coffee in 60 kg jute bags
Major aspects of narrowing the yield gap in coffee Soil quality and nutrient balance Shade (agroforestry) or no shade (sun-coffee) Control of diseases (host resistance) and pests (IPM) Crop management (access to information and training) Harvesting, primary processing (berries to beans) Climate change impact (temperature, drought, excess rainfall)
Consequences of climate change on arabica coffee production Upward move in altitude and reduction of suitable land (more deforestation) Increasing disease and pests problems Declining productivity and cup quality Serious threat to the livelihoods of millions of farming families Brasil, Minas Gerais
Major aspects of narrowing the yield gap in coffee Soil quality and nutrient balance Shade (agroforestry) or no shade (sun-coffee) Control of diseases (host resistance) and pests (IPM) Crop management (access to information and training) Harvesting and primary processing (berries to green beans) Climate change impact (temperature, drought, excess rainfall) Farmer s income (profitability, price volatilty) Fair trade, organic farming and other certification systems
arabica coffee organic standard (Mexico) shade no shade Yield of green coffee (kg/ha) 900 1600 Farm gate price ($/kg) 1.55 1.20 Gross income ($/ha) 1395 1920 Production costs ($/ha) 1480 1620 Net income ($/ha) -85 300 Note: Farmgate price 60% of export value
arabica coffee organic standard (Mexico) shade no shade Yield of green coffee (kg/ha) 920 1610 Farmgate price ($/kg) 3.00 2.50 Gross income ($/ha) 2760 4025 Production costs ($/ha) 2010 2585 Net income ($/ha) 750 1440 (Farmgate price 60%)
Major aspects of narrowing the yield gap in coffee Soil quality and nutrient balance Shade (agroforestry) or no shade (sun-coffee) Control of diseases (host resistance) and pests (IPM) Crop management (access to information and training) Harvesting, primary processing (berries to beans) Climate change impact (temperature, drought, excess rainfall) Farmer s income (profitability, price volatilty) Fair trade, organic farming and other certification systems
A plethora of coffee certification systems! Promoting socio-economically and ecologically sustainable farming practices and market access for quality coffee Impact on farmer s net income often disappointing Share in the mainstream market growing but still fairly small Interest from large coffee roasters to support coffee farmers Coordination of all stakeholders of the coffee supply chain on substantial investments in sustainable coffee production
References Bunn C, Läderach P et al (2015). Multiclass classification of agro-ecological zones for arabica coffee: an improved understanding of the impact of climate change. PLOSone, DOI:10.1371/journal.pone0140490. 16 pp. De Ponti T, Rijk B & Van Ittersum K (2012). The crop yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture. Agricultural Systems 108: 1 9. Giovannucci D & Potts J (2008). COSA preliminary analysis of sustainable initiatives in the coffee sector. 36 pp., IISD. Panhuyzen S & Pierrot J (2014). The coffee barometer 2014. 25 pp., Hivos, IUCN-Nl, Oxfam/Novib, Solidaridad, WWF. Van der Vossen H (2005). A critical analysis of the agronomic and economic sustainability of organic coffee production. Experimental Agriculture 41: 449 473. Van der Vossen, Bertrand B & Charrier A (2015). Next generation variety development for sustainable production of arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.): a review. Euphytica 204: 243 256.
Thank you for your attention!