Changes in the climate and land use are combining to dramatically shrink the numbers of insects pollinating key tropical crops.
As those problems interwine and intensify, it likely will hit coffee lovers right in the mug, according to a new study.
Study authors said bees, flies, moths and other pollinators are being hit harder than the general insect population.
Those plants rely on bees and flies to help them reproduce and fewer pollinators mean reduced crops, study authors said.
“There will be this double hit of climate change impacting coffee itself, the coffee plants, but also impacting the pollinators on which it depends so that’s quite worrying for those of us who like coffee,” Newbold said.
Persons:
Tim Newbold, ” Newbold, Joe Millard, haven’t, Douglas Tallamy, “ We’re, Tallamy, “, Millard, Newbold, Delaware’s, Read, Seth Borenstein
Organizations:
University College of London, U.S . Department of Agriculture, University of Delaware, Twitter, AP
Locations:
China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, Saharan Africa, London