Look Out, Latte Lovers: Brazil Drought Hurts Espresso Beans
- Dry weather prompts government to restrict irrigation
- Brazil’s robusta crop seen reaching lowest since 2006
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Latte lovers, beware. The beans used to make the caffeinated delight are suffering through a terrible drought in Brazil.
In the state of Espirito Santo, the land is so parched that the government has restricted water used to irrigate farms for months. As waterways dried further, the regulations got extended and even stricter in August, and in some areas farmers are prohibited from pumping any water from rivers to their fields. The region is Brazil’s top grower of robusta beans -- the variety used in espresso and instant coffee.