#31: Re:co Podcast - Selena Ahmed on the Impact of Climate Change (Session 4, Episode 2)

This is second episode of “Harnessing the Power of Science,” a session recorded at Re:co Symposium this past April. The main focus of this session was to learn about new developments in coffee science and explore how Specialty Coffee can engage with the scientific enterprise for the benefit of all of us. If you haven’t listened to episode #30, we strongly recommend going back to listen to it before you continue with this episode. On this episode of the Re:co Podcast, we are pleased to welcome Professor Selena Ahmed. Selena co-leads the Food and Health Lab at Montana State University where she is a professor in Sustainable Food Systems. At Re:co Symposium this past April, Selena shared her research detailing shares the impact of climate change on two other specialty crops, tea and maple syrup, before exploring how we can harness science to measure the effects of climate change on coffee. This talk from Re:co Seattle is supported by Toddy. For over 50 years, Toddy brand cold brew systems have delighted baristas, food critics, and regular folks alike. By extracting all the natural and delicious flavors of coffee and tea, Toddy Cold Brew Systems turn your favorite coffee beans and tea leaves into fresh cold brew concentrates, that are ready to serve and enjoy. Learn more about Toddy at http://www.toddycafe.com. Related Links: - Find a full transcript of this episode on SCA News: https://scanews.coffee/podcast/31/reco-podcast-selena-ahmed-on-the-impact-of-climate-change-s4-e2 - Watch the full Re:co video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/n65GseGugnk - Watch all the Re:co videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCatGCytR9fuOt9N6tlPZKCg - Read more about our 2018 Re:co speakers: https://www.recosymposium.org/2018/talks Subscribe to this podcast on your favorite app: - iTunes: www.apple.co/2sXdmSj - Stitcher: www.bit.ly/2JBJOk8 - Pocket Casts: www.bit.ly/2JBowTT - RadioPublic: www.bit.ly/2JCfeGY Table of Contents 0:00 Introduction 3:30 Climate change affects coffee, but also tea and maple syrup. By exploring climate change’s effects on tea and maple syrup, we get a better understanding of how climate change may impact coffee cultivation. 4:15 Background explanation of China’s tea production in Yunnan province and Selena’s research. 7:00 Climate variability affects tea flavors, yield and livelihoods in Yunnan Province, China. 10:45 Droughts and monsoons produce different chemicals in tea, some of which was good for flavor and prices, and others undesirable. 13:00 When factoring increased weather variability due to climate change, the outcome on flavors, yield and livelihoods is not one-size-fits-all and very nuanced, depending on the region, with both positive and negative effects. 16:30 Maple syrup harvest seasons are changing. 17:30 Selena and others documented how flavors changed as the harvest season starts earlier and earlier. 20:00 What can farmers do to mitigate the effects of climate change in tea cultivation? 21:45 Final thoughts 23:00 Outro --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/specialty-coffee-association-podcast/message