The impact of deforestation on coffee production

The impact of deforestation on coffee production

From 5THWAVE - The Business of Coffee and Hospitality by World Coffee Portal

March 24, 2026 · 25 min · Episode 204

About this episode

The episode discusses the effects of climate change and deforestation on global coffee production with expert Dr. Aaron Davis.

In today’s episode we’re exploring how climate change and deforestation are impacting global coffee production, with Dr. Aaron Davis , Senior Research Leader for Crops & Global Change at The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. Aaron has spent more than three decades researching coffee species and is a leading voice on climate resilience and future-proofing global coffee production. In this thought-provoking conversation, Aaron unpacks coffee farming’s complex relationship with deforestation and assesses its impact on forest ecosystems. He also highlights the rise of alternative coffee species, and why transparency and unlocking genetic diversity are key to our industry’s long-term survival. Credits music: "Natures Hands" by Flo Perlin association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB Collective . Tune into the 5THWAVE Playlist on Spotify for more music from the show Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.com Subscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Aaron Davis

Topics covered

  • climate change
  • deforestation
  • coffee production
  • sustainability
  • genetic diversity

Keywords

  • coffee
  • deforestation
  • climate resilience
  • alternative coffee species
  • forest ecosystems

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Royal Botanic Gardens, World Coffee Portal, The Coffee Music Project, SEB Collective

Books & works: Natures Hands

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