Top Tweets for #rustchat
@christophemon @itsridiculous @WCoffeeResearch @Cirad British planters in Ceylon noted the effects of fertilizers on the rust in the 1870s and early 1880s, as part of a broader practice of “high cultivation.” There was much debate, at the time, as to whether or not this constituted a “cure” for the disease. #rustchat
@CarolMorton I haven't seen much denial in the history of the coffee rust. I have seen occasional suggestions that "the rust was introduced into country X for political reasons" etc., although I don't find those arguments plausible. #RustChat
All of these groups have an important — and essential — part to play. But arguably, the farmers remain at the heart of the enterprise. #RustChat
And, second question for @stuartmccook: As someone who has spent a lot of time thinking about plant epidemics, any thoughts about what we can learn from the history of our relationship to plant disease re: the current COVID-19 pandemic? @wcoffeeresearch #rustchat
But as they see the growing environmental threats to the coffee industry, companies like ECOM and Starbucks are starting to do research, and other companies are helping sponsor research organizations — like WCR. #RustChat
In the nineteenth century, farmers were the first to introduce new cultivars and species in the nineteenth century. They were first to experiment with sprays, and at the time scientists arguably learned far more form farmers the other way around. #RustChat
Farmers are, of course, central to fighting plant disease. From the very first outbreak in the late 1860s, farmers have sought (and often found) creative solutions for fighting the rust. They continue to do so to the present.
#RustChat
Hi, @stuartmccook ! Can you talk about the relative importance of different players along the value stream -- or even outside of it (e.g., individual farmers, exporters, govts/institutions) in fighting plant disease? #rustchat @WCoffeeResearch
Indonesia (then the Dutch East Indies) survived largely by abandoning most arabica for robusta -- substituting one kind of coffee for another. And then convincing global markets (esp the US) to accept robusta as "coffee." #rustchat
@christophemon @WCoffeeResearch Yes, this is a good example of the interaction between natural and social processes. When prices are low, farmers can find it difficult to do the things they need in order ot keep the rust in check. They stop spraying as much, or at all. They postpone renovating, etc. #RustChat
Yes, price drops often make it difficult for farmers to manage the rust. They can't afford to spray as much, or at all. Or they can't afford to renovate their farms, etc. All of which opens up a space for the rust #rustchat
Also, the botanical garden in Sri Lanka had introduced tea and shown it to be commercially viable. So they had a comercially viable alternative, which they switched to that. #RustChat
The farmers and laborers are at their most vulnerable during a slow recovery. The loss of income and wages in recent outbreaks in Central America left many people hungry. #rustchat
a) Long-term research is essential;
b) large-scale collaboration and knowledge exchanges are essential;
c) institutional support (both technical and financial) for farmers is essential;
d) stable and sustainable coffee prices are essential #RustChat
The scale of climate change is much larger than a rust epidemic, but the lessons for successful collective adaptation to climate change adaptation are clear. These include: #RustChat
The rust was a sudden and surprising environmental shock to coffee agro-ecosystems, especially in its early years. Farmers struggled to figure out how to cope with it.
#RustChat
So from both biological and commercial perspectives, “coffee” has been changing ever more quickly since the mid-nineteenth century. #RustChat
The rust (among other forces) triggered a global exchange of coffee cultivars (especially arabica cultivars), and new coffee species. Dutch planters on Java brought Robusta from Africa in response to the rust epidemic.
#RustChat
Many histories of coffee tell North-South stories, focusing on coffee’s journey from ‘plantation to cup.’ Focussing on the rust highlighted coffee’s “South-South” history — about the evolving connections across the world’s coffeelands. #RustChat
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