The fungus “Coffee Rust” Could Permanently End Our Love Affair With Coffee

In Guatemala, a new fungus is spreading like wildfire, destroying the coffee bean crop and severely impacting the lives of farmers who grow it.

The fungus, called “coffee rust” — roya, in Spanish — takes no prisoners. It destroys every coffee plant it touches, and it’s ravaged its way through Central America. Which is terrible news for coffee lovers worldwide, as two of the top 10 exporters of coffee are in Central America: Guatemala and Honduras.

Coffee rust covers 70 percent of Guatemala’s crop and has resulted in a loss of 100,000 jobs and a 15 percent drop in coffee output, ultimately costing Central America $1 billion in monetary damages.

The rust fungus has been in the region a long time, but recently it’s been more aggressive, according to NPR. The fungus thrives in warmer temperatures, attacking leaves of the coffee plant and choking off nutrients.

Fortunately, assistance is on the way — coffee companies like Starbucks and Green Mountain are teaming up with the U.S. Agency for International Development to help farmers learn how to fight off rust. They’re also bringing them financial help.

So far, they’ve pooled $23 million.

And it’s a good thing, because help is needed ASAP. According to Mark Visocky, director of USAID’s economic growth office in Guatemala, if the rust isn’t dealt with soon, coffee prices will spike and illegal immigration to the U.S. will rise.

RYOT
August 3, 2014