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Impact of Climate Change on the Production of Coffea arabica at Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Authors :
Sigrun Wagner
Laurence Jassogne
Elizabeth Price
Martin Jones
Richard Preziosi
Source :
Agriculture, Vol 11, Iss 1, p 53 (2021)
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2021.

Abstract

Adapting coffee production to climate change is a significant challenge requiring a detailed understanding of local climatic change patterns and the consequences, both real and perceived, for coffee production. To this end, we examined changes in precipitation at Mt. Kilimanjaro over the last two decades and conducted twelve focus group discussions to obtain farmers’ perceptions on climate change, the impact of extreme weather events on coffee production and the potential of shade trees as an adaptation strategy. Despite an increase in total annual precipitation, farmers are still confronted with droughts due to a shift in seasons. We found a delayed onset of the main rainy season and showed that a positive Indian Ocean Dipole contributes to the increase in precipitation during the short rainy season. Farmers clearly described the impacts of drought or excess rainfall on coffee production during flowering, maturation, and harvest. Thus, adaptation strategies need to be tailored such that specific coffee development stages are buffered against the effects of droughts, shorter wet seasons, and less frequent but heavier rainfall events. To develop the potential of shade trees as an effective adaptation strategy, optimum shade density, specific tree species, and management practices need to be identified.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
11010053 and 20770472
Volume :
11
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Agriculture
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.bf64773c5a48491eb73367d88bc954a9
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11010053