Climate change reported to be affecting coffee and rice crops worldwide
Outlets in the Middle East and East Asia report that rising temperatures, irregular rainfall and extreme weather are affecting crops from coffee to sake rice, though coverage differs in geographic focus and level of detail.
What happened
Arab News reports that climate change is affecting coffee-producing regions worldwide through rising temperatures, irregular rainfall, longer droughts and extreme weather.2
Nikkei Asia reports that Indonesia's coffee trade is being affected by climate change.3
The Japan Times reports that scorching summers are changing how sake rice performs during brewing in Japan, prompting exploration of heat-resistant rice breeds.1
What's agreed
Reported consistently by outlets in more than one region.
How it's framed
What each perspective puts first, based on headlines and summaries.
| Perspective | How it reads | What it puts first |
|---|---|---|
| Middle East-based industry coverageMiddle East & Turkey | Arab News frames climate change as an unpredictable, industry-wide threat to global coffee production, drawing on coffee's history of surviving other crises to underscore the novelty of this challenge.2 | global scope, unpredictability, threat to farming families |
| East Asian financial and business pressEast Asia | Nikkei Asia's headline describes Indonesia's coffee trade as "wilting" under climate change, focusing narrowly on Indonesia, while The Japan Times focuses on a domestic agricultural product, sake rice, and frames the story around potential technical solutions such as heat-resistant breeds.13 | country-specific impact, trade and brewing consequences, possible technical fixes |
What the coverage leaves out
- None of the outlets reviewed reported specific data on crop yield changes, production volumes, or economic losses attributed to climate change.
- None of the outlets reviewed reported on responses from governments, coffee companies, or international bodies to these climate impacts.
- None of the outlets reviewed reported on impacts to coffee-producing regions outside Indonesia in detail.
Why it matters
Coffee is described as an industry supporting millions of farming families, according to Arab News.2
Sources (3)
Every outlet we drew on, grouped by where it is based. Read the originals for the full reporting.
Middle East & Turkey
- 2Arab NewsSAPrivate
Race to save the bean: Can coffee survive a changing climate?
East Asia
- 1The Japan TimesJPPrivate
- 3Nikkei AsiaJPPrivate