Rediscover a species of coffee that has been forgotten for decades

In the dense rainforest of Sierra Leone, scientists have rediscovered a species of coffee that has disappeared in the wild for decades. This is a plant that can help ensure the future of coffee, which is already affected by climate change.

Coffee stenophylla is said to have a great taste. Photo: RBG KEW. In the dense rainforest of Sierra Leone, scientists have rediscovered a species of coffee that has disappeared in the wild for decades. This is a plant that can help ensure the future of coffee, which is already affected by climate change. In 2050, climate change halves coffee production On April 19, researchers said, this coffee tree has a name Coffea stenophylla , is able to withstand higher temperatures than Arabica coffee accounts for 56% and Robusta coffee accounts for 43% of global production. Stenophylla has been shown to have a premium taste, similar to Arabica. Botanist Aaron Davis, who leads research on the anti-climate change stenophylla coffee. Photo: Inews. Botanist Aaron Davis, who led the study published in the journal Nature Plants , said, before disappearing, stenophylla plants were grown in regions of West Africa and exported to Europe until the early 20th century. According to Mr. Davis, the stenophylla coffee tree has not been seen in the wild in Sierra Leone since 1954 and in the Ivory Coast since the 1980s. This is given as an evidence. Climate change is a pressing concern for the billion-dollar coffee industry. Many coffee farmers around the world are experiencing the negative effects of this phenomenon. The taste of Arabica is considered excellent and offers a higher price than robusta, which is mainly used for instant and blended coffee. But Arabica has a limited tolerance to climate change, and research has shown that global production of this coffee can drop by at least 50% by mid-century. The fruit of the stenophylla tree is dark black. Photo: Reuters. Unlike the red and sometimes yellow berries of Arabica and robusta, the stenophylla fruit is dark black. The coffee beans are inside the fruit. The stenophylla coffee grows at an average annual temperature of 24.9 ° C, 1.9 ° C higher than Robusta and up to 6.8 ° C higher than that, the researchers said. arabica coffee. Rediscovered stenophylla “proves the future” of the coffee industry Dr Davis said the rediscovery of stenophylla could help “prove the future” of the coffee industry, to support the economies of some tropical countries and provide livelihoods for more than 100 million farmers. people. Stenophylla can be used with minimal domestication, as a high value coffee for farmers in warmer climates. “In the long run, stenophylla provides us with an important resource for breeding a new generation of climate resistant coffee, as it has great taste and good heat resistance. “If historical reports on coffee leaf rust resistance and drought tolerance are believed to be correct, this will be a useful asset for coffee plant breeding”, Mr. Davis added. This study also included the evaluation of 18 coffee tasters on the taste of stenophylla species. A small sample of this coffee bean has been roasted and made into coffee, then enjoyed by a group of coffee connoisseurs. The report showed that more than 80% of the judges were unable to distinguish the difference between Stenophylla and Arabica when tasted. Accordingly, this species has a complex flavor, with a natural sweetness, high average acidity, and a fruity taste when sipping in the mouth. The rediscovered stenophylla grows wild in Sierra Leone. Photo: RBG KEW. From December 2018, Dr. Davis and study co-author Jeremy Haggar of the University of Greenwich and coffee developer Daniel Sarmu searched wild stenophylla in Sierra Leone, where it is historically grown as a coffee tree about a century ago. Initially, they discovered a single tree in central Sierra Leone. They then discovered a healthy population of wild stenophylla some 140 kilometers southeast of Sierra Leone. “Both sites are tropical rainforest, but stenophylla tends to appear on drier, more open areas: ridges, slopes, and rocky areas,” said Dr. Davis. According to Davis, stenophylla is threatened with extinction amid massive deforestation in three countries where it is growing wild: Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast. “I think we are extremely optimistic about the future,” said Jeremy Torz, co-founder of the Union Hand-Roasted Coffee special coffee business in East London, which hosts the tasting of the coffee. stenophylla can deliver ”. Dr. Davis hopes one day that stenophylla will be re-grown in Sierra Leone on a large scale. “I think within five to seven years we will see stenophylla enter the market as a niche, high-value coffee, and then I think it will be more popular,” he said.