The Washington PostThe Washington Post

Climate change imperils coffee. A rescue plan is brewing in Vietnam

By Rebecca Tan and Nhung Nguyen

15 May 2023 · 6 min read

Editor's Note

Coffee lovers have long been obsessed with the arabica coffee bean. But as the Post reports, climate change is shifting fortunes, with the bulkier robusta plant faring better in a warming world.

BAO LOC, Vietnam - For decades, the world of coffee has had one star: the arabica bean. It is "complex" and "deliciously refined," according to companies such as Starbucks that have refused to use any other bean. It has engendered obsession among Java aficionados.

But climate change, as it tends to do, is shifting fortunes.

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