In recent months, you might have noticed coffee prices creeping up—both in cafés and on store shelves. At Artessa, we’ve also had to raise our prices, and a few customers have asked why. The short answer is climate change. But the long answer? It’s more complicated, and much more human.
A recent article in Daily Coffee News offered a powerful look into what farmers in Colombia are facing. It captured a reality we think more people should understand—so here’s our take on the story behind your morning cup.
Climate Change and Coffee: A Brewing Storm
Coffee isn’t just a product of craft. It’s a product of climate. It depends on reliable seasons, rich soil, and a narrow temperature window. As those conditions shift, coffee farming becomes more uncertain—and more difficult.
In Colombia, once-reliable rainfall is now erratic. Dry seasons are stretching longer. Temperatures are creeping up. The National Federation of Coffee Growers reports that these shifts are disrupting flowering cycles and reducing yields, even in areas that were considered safe bets just a few years ago.
This isn’t a future problem. It’s already here. And it’s not just Colombia—coffee-growing regions around the world are being hit with a wave of droughts, heatwaves, and disease outbreaks that threaten the very core of their livelihood.
More Coffee or Better Coffee? A Farmer’s Dilemma
Traditional farming methods often go hand in hand with biodiversity and soil health. But they usually come with lower yields and greater vulnerability to disease. Still, many farmers are choosing this path—not because it’s easy, but because it may be the most resilient in the long run.
Some small farms are returning to older, non-hybrid coffee varieties and embracing agroecological methods. That means planting shade trees like Spanish elm or nogal cafetero (Cordia alliodora) to cool the plants naturally and hold moisture in the soil. It’s a quieter, slower kind of farming.
But there’s a trade-off. These systems can yield less coffee. And they can leave plants more vulnerable to diseases like coffee leaf rust. It’s a balancing act—resilience versus risk.
Slow Work in a Fast-Moving Crisis
There’s no quick fix for a shifting climate. Adapting coffee farms takes years, even decades.
- New coffee varieties need 5–10 years to mature and prove themselves.
- Transitioning to organic or regenerative methods can take at least 2–3 years.
- Reworking a farm to include shade trees or change its layout? That’s a full overhaul.
And all of that comes with cost, labour, and a lot of uncertainty. Farmers can’t afford to wait for long-term rewards if they can’t make ends meet this season.
The Real Price of a Good Cup
At Artessa, we’re transparent about our prices because we think it matters. We work with importers and producers who value quality and sustainability. Sometimes that means direct relationships, and sometimes it means trusting partners who do the work on the ground.
The truth is: good coffee takes more. More care, more time, more risk. And as climate pressures grow, so do the costs.
Colombia’s coffee producers are already seeing it. Yields are dropping, costs are rising, and the economics of coffee are being stretched thin. Without better prices or support, some farmers may have no choice but to give up on coffee altogether.
What We Can Do
As roasters, we don’t add flavour to coffee—we reveal it. Every bag we roast is a reflection of what the farmers have achieved despite the odds.
We’re not claiming to have the perfect answer. We’re part of a global supply chain that doesn’t always reward the people doing the hardest work. But we do our best to choose coffees that are part of a more sustainable future.
If you’ve ever wondered why specialty coffee costs more than supermarket blends, this is why. You’re not just paying for flavour—you’re helping keep coffee farming alive, resilient, and rooted in real communities.
Read the original article that inspired this blog: Inside Colombia’s Monumental Struggle to Balance Coffee Quality With Climate Adaptation
