Coffee in Its Natural Habitat

Although there are more than 100 species of coffee, we only use two to produce typical cups of coffee around the world. These two species are known as Robusta and Arabica. In this video, scientists from Kew Gardens visit Ethiopia (the home of Arabica coffee) and explain how coffee's near-monoculture makes it especially susceptible to climate change, pests, and diseases -- and how even now, small increases in temperature are causing low-altitude coffee crops to degrade and change their taste. Enjoy (but have a cup of coffee nearby, else you'll be craving one by the end):

For more, read Kew's GIS blog on mapping coffee in Ethiopia, or watch this video featuring Aaron Davis explaining more details on what Kew staff are up to:

(Via Devour.)