For the investor with a longer-term time horizon.
From RealClearScience, December 19:
For the past century, the coffee market has been dominated by two species: Arabica and Robusta, respectively comprising 55% and 45% of global production. Pricier, sweeter Arabica beans are more typically used in fancier beverages over the more bitter Robusta beans, which pack twice the caffeine. But as the climate changes, a rare species could push these two mainstays to the minority.
As a group of plant scientists from the UK and Uganda described in a comment published Thursday in Nature Plants, Coffea liberica, more simply known as Liberica, wasn’t always the relative unknown that it is today. At the dawn of the 20th century, it was the second most traded species, behind the ever popular Arabica. Robust and high-yielding, with resistance to pests and disease as well as an ability to tolerate warmer temperatures, Liberica flourished, particularly in southern Asia.
But it had one glaring drawback that led to its decline into obscurity: it didn’t taste very good.
“The flavor issues and low quality were largely the result of difficulties in post-harvest processing… due to the large size of the fruit, its thick rather tough skin and thick pulp,” the authors wrote.
Long live Liberica?
But now, a confluence of factors could bring Liberica coffee back, they argue....
....MUCH MORE
