The cost of coffee continues to rise, reaching seven dollars per pound in supermarkets in the USA. This is linked to the situation in coffee plantations in southeastern Brazil. Young farmer Augusto Rodrigues, having just sold his harvested fields, receives phone calls from buyers who are usually happy to offer. However, this year the harvest is unsuccessful and there are no goods. The shortage of production has been caused by a sudden rise in temperatures, which harms Brazilian coffee farms and, consequently, local cultures. In this context, the demand for coffee continues to grow, especially in China, where this beverage has become not only a daily element but also a luxury. The global price of arabica coffee, which is most often used for roasting, has increased over the past year, and now many trading brands label significantly higher prices than they did a few years ago. Many farmers in the Brazilian region of Alta-Mogiana have faced a significant decrease in yields, leading to a deterioration in their living situation. Some lost a third of their harvest, while others even more. This has forced them to struggle not only with changing climate conditions but also with increasingly frequent cases of rust. Tiergo Donizetti, a third-generation farmer, admits that he has to buy coffee from other producers to continue satisfying the requests of his clients. Rodrigues, who lost more than 200 acres of harvest last summer due to drought, has been compelled to take emergency measures to save the remaining fields. Normally, coffee leftovers are sent for disposal, but this year Rodrigues sold it as low-quality coffee. Coffee is considered an integral part of Brazilian life, where the morning is called "coffee time," and people do not relate it to meetings but to coffee breaks. Studies suggest that the increase in climatic catastrophes may lead to the disappearance of arabica coffee in a large part of South America. In southeastern Brazil, where the main coffee plantations are located, losses can reach 20-60%, according to a study published in "Regional Environmental Change."
