Global food and beverage company Nestlé announced today that it has developed Star 4, a new high-yielding Arabica coffee variety aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change on the coffee supply chain, and enabling lower greenhouse gas emissions attributes from coffee farming.

According to Nestlé, the new coffee variety is being launched as climate change threatens to reduce the area suitable for coffee growing, citing an IPCC study indicating that land suitable to grow Arabica coffee might be reduced by over 50% by 2050.

According to Jeroen Dijkman, Head of Nestlé’s Institute of Agricultural Sciences, the new Star 4 coffee variety is characterized by a larger bean size and resistance to coffee rust, a fungus-based foliar disease known to threaten coffee crops, enabling higher yields and greater resilience.

Dijkman said:

“We are proud to make another important step towards resilient coffee supply chains, ensuring that consumers can continue to enjoy great coffee in the future.”

Nestlé also noted that the new coffee variety will feature reduced GHG emissions properties, driven by the higher yielding plants, as well as by improved farming methods. Nestlé launched a Regenerative Agriculture Framework in 2022, aimed at helping the company reach its sustainability and 2050 net zero climate goal through promoting sustainable farming practices and responsible sourcing. The company also launched its Nescafé Plan 2030 in 2022, outlining its initiatives to improve the sustainability of coffee farming, and helping farmers transition to regenerative agriculture practices, including planned investments of over 1 billion Swiss Francs (USD$1 billion) by 2030.

Marcelo Burity, Nestlé’s Head of Green Coffee Development, said:

“Optimizing cultivation practices remains vital as they are the primary factor contributing to the environmental impact of a cup of coffee.”