A Daring Mission to Resurrect a Forgotten Coffee Species
I had no idea what I was in for when I first heard about the search for the elusive stenophylla coffee. As a passionate coffee aficionado, the idea of saving a rare and endangered variety captivated me. Little did I know that this quest would lead me on a wild journey through the jungles of West Africa, the hallowed halls of prestigious research institutions, and even right into my own local coffeehouse.
It all started a few years ago when experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London’s famed botanical hub, began scouring the remote corners of Sierra Leone in search of a coffee species that many believed to be lost forever. Stenophylla, a rare and distinctive variety, had last been recorded in the 1950s, before civil war and rampant deforestation pushed it to the brink of extinction.
Undeterred, the team scoured the landscape, even issuing “wanted” posters to local farmers, pleading for any information about this elusive plant. And after years of searching, their perseverance paid off. In 2018, a small cluster of stenophylla trees were finally rediscovered, hidden away in the lush forest canopy.
Two years later, those hardy survivors produced a mere nine grams of precious beans – just enough for a handful of curious coffee experts to gather and savor. As they sipped the fragrant, fruity, and sweet brew, they knew they were tasting something truly special. Stenophylla, it seemed, possessed remarkable qualities that could help secure the future of coffee in an era of climate change.
Facing the Fragility of Our Food System
This story of stenophylla is just one of the many that author Dan Saladino uncovered while researching his book “Eating to Extinction: The World’s Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them.” As I delved into his work, I was struck by the profound realization that the diversity of our global food system is hanging by a thread.
Sure, we may have access to a dizzying array of products at our local grocery stores, but the truth is, the vast majority of our calories come from just a tiny handful of crops. Wheat, rice, corn, and soy alone provide around two-thirds of the world’s food intake. And even within those staple crops, we’ve whittled down genetic diversity to a mere fraction of what it once was.
The Green Revolution of the mid-20th century, while an impressive feat of agricultural engineering, came at a heavy cost. In the quest to boost yields and feed a growing global population, thousands of traditional crop varieties were replaced by a small number of high-performing hybrids. And as monocultures of these super-productive strains spread across the world, the rich tapestry of our food heritage began to unravel.
As Saladino explains, “We removed an important safety net for our food supplies – diversity.” And now, as climate change begins to wreak havoc on our agricultural systems, we’re left perilously vulnerable.
Rediscovering the Resilience of Heritage Crops
But amid the gloom, there are glimmers of hope. All around the world, a growing movement of farmers, researchers, and food activists are working tirelessly to resurrect the diversity we’ve lost. And their efforts are yielding some remarkable results.
Take the case of the humble millet, a nutrient-packed cereal that was once a dietary staple for millions of Indians. During the Green Revolution, British colonizers and the push for higher-yielding grains like wheat and rice caused millet to be largely relegated to animal feed. But in the Khasi villages of Meghalaya, a small northeastern state, a different story was unfolding.
When a series of bad harvests and supply chain disruptions hit the region in 2008, many Khasi families rediscovered the value of their traditional millet varieties. Crops like Raishan, an ivory-colored grain that had all but disappeared, were suddenly being brought back into cultivation. And the benefits went far beyond just securing food supplies.
“Millet is a nutrient-packed and diverse cereal that sustained generations of people in India,” Saladino writes. “But British colonizers, unaware of millet’s unique nutritional qualities and resilience, replaced it with varieties of bread wheat and cash crops such as indigo.”
Now, as climate change and water scarcity threaten the future of water-intensive rice cultivation, these rediscovered millet varieties are being hailed as a potential solution. Not only are they better equipped to withstand environmental stresses, but they also require far less water to grow. It’s a win-win for both nutrition and sustainability.
And the story of millet is just the tip of the iceberg. From the wild vanilla of the Brazilian Cerrado to the ancient wheat varieties of Italy, a global network of committed individuals and organizations are working tirelessly to revive our food heritage. By preserving the genetic diversity of our crops and livestock, they’re building a more resilient and adaptable food system for the future.
Keeping Tradition Alive in an Evolving World
As I delved deeper into these stories of agricultural revival, I couldn’t help but be struck by the profound cultural significance of these efforts. It’s not just about saving obscure plants and animals – it’s about preserving the rich tapestry of human knowledge, ingenuity, and heritage that’s woven into every bite of food we take.
Take the case of the Kalunga people, descendants of escaped slaves living in the vast Cerrado region of Brazil. They’ve long relied on a unique variety of wild vanilla to flavor their traditional dishes and beverages. But as deforestation and industrial agriculture threaten the Cerrado’s biodiversity, this precious resource is at risk of disappearing.
By supporting the Kalunga’s efforts to protect and sustainably harvest this endangered vanilla, we’re not just preserving a valuable crop – we’re also safeguarding the cultural identity and traditional ways of life of an entire community. It’s a powerful reminder that the fate of our food and the fate of our people are inextricably linked.
And the same holds true for the revival of Italy’s ancient grains, wines, and livestock breeds. As chronicled in another article, the preservation of these regional specialties is about more than just flavor and nutrition. It’s about maintaining the unique cultural heritage that has defined Italian cuisine for generations.
By supporting small-scale producers and traditional cultivation practices, we’re not just saving endangered foods – we’re ensuring that the profound human stories behind them continue to be told. In an age of globalization and mass-produced homogeneity, these efforts are a vital link to our past and a blueprint for a more sustainable future.
A Call to Arms for Coffee Lovers Everywhere
And that’s why the story of stenophylla coffee resonates with me so deeply. It’s not just about saving a rare and remarkable plant – it’s about preserving the rich diversity that underpins the global coffee industry. After all, the world’s two most widely-cultivated coffee species, arabica and robusta, are both highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
As Saladino warns, “If arabica starts to fail as it did catastrophically across Southern Asia in the 19th century and again in Central America in 2014, millions of coffee farmers will be affected. History will repeat itself – coffee supply chains will be put at risk, family incomes will fall, and regional economies will be devastated, triggering waves of migration.”
But with the rediscovery of stenophylla, we’ve been given a glimmer of hope. This hardy, heat-tolerant variety could hold the key to safeguarding the future of coffee in an era of climate change. And as coffee lovers, we have a vested interest in ensuring that its remarkable flavors and resilient traits are preserved for generations to come.
So, the next time you sip on your favorite brew, I encourage you to think about the larger story behind that cup. Consider the countless farmers, researchers, and food activists who are working tirelessly to revive the lost flavors and endangered varieties that sustain our global food system. And support your local coffeehouse that champions these efforts, bringing the rich diversity of the coffee world right to your doorstep.
Because in the end, the future of our food is not just about productivity and profit – it’s about preserving the cultural heritage, environmental resilience, and sheer deliciousness that makes each bite and sip so meaningful. Join me in this fight to revive lost flavors and safeguard the vital diversity that sustains us all.
