Cheap coffee is killing Vietnam’s priceless tropical forests (commentary)
Vietnam is now the world’s largest producer of robusta, the bitter, sturdy bean behind instant coffee, supermarket blends, and the overall global appetite for cheap caffeine. But behind its meteoric rise to No. 2 coffee producer in the world lies a story the industry has tried very hard to hide: forests are disappearing, wildlife is […]
Vietnam has become the world's leading producer of robusta coffee, the bitter bean used in instant blends and supermarket products. However, the rapid growth of the industry has come at a steep environmental cost. Forests are being cleared at an alarming rate, pushing wildlife like tigers, elephants, and saola to the brink of extinction.
Rural communities are also suffering as ecosystems that once sustained them are destroyed to make way for coffee plantations. The industry's focus on producing cheap coffee has led to widespread deforestation and biodiversity loss. The Vietnam Coffee Watch investigation reveals that forests the size of Luxembourg have been wiped out for coffee production alone.
As consumers buy cheap coffee products worldwide, they are unwittingly contributing to this environmental crisis.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
