Global coffee prices surge amid adverse weather conditions: FAO

ROME, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Global coffee prices surged by nearly 40 percent in 2024 due to adverse weather conditions affecting key producing countries, according to a report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Friday.

FAO data showed that Arabica coffee prices in December 2024 were 58 percent higher compared to the same period in 2023, while Robusta prices jumped by 70 percent.

The report warned that further price increases could occur in 2025 if major coffee-producing regions continue to face significant supply constraints.

Severe weather conditions have disrupted coffee production in major supplying nations, including Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia, the report stated.

In addition to weather-related supply shocks, rising shipping costs have also contributed to the increase in global coffee prices.

"High prices should serve as an incentive to invest more in technology and research to enhance climate resilience in the coffee sector, which remains heavily reliant on smallholder farmers," said Boubaker Ben-Belhassen, director of FAO's Markets and Trade Division. He emphasized that climate change remains a long-term challenge for global coffee production and reaffirmed FAO's commitment to working with producing countries to help farmers adopt climate-resilient techniques. ■