“You have no right to have coffee”: How robust is Belfast’s coffee culture? 

Coffee culture is embedded in the student lifestyle at Queen’s.

Despite surging prices and the media’s repeated denouncements against the inevitable £5 coffee, [1] cafés across campus remain habitually flooded with students and academics alike. Meanwhile, chain coffee shops continue to seek opportunities for expansion throughout the city. Earlier this year, Café Nero announced plans for two new cafés across Belfast. [2]

But beyond the city, a deeper crisis is brewing.

For the last four years, global prices for Arabica coffee beans have soared, while crop yields have perpetually faltered. In December 2024, prices spiked, breaking previous records set in 1977. [3]

In 2021, Brazil, the largest producer of coffee globally, faced its worst frost in 50 years, damaging the nation’s Arabica plantations. Consecutive harvests since have continued to underperform as repeated frosts disrupt not only the growth of the beans, but the lives of Brazilian farmers who depend on the plant. In some regions, half of all coffee plantations are wilting; [4] more frosts are expected this year. [5]

Faced with a shortfall, importers are left with a choice. Accept rising costs for the highly sought after Arabica beans or seek an alternative to compensate for the lack of global supply. For many, Robusta beans- Arabica’s cheaper and less prestigious alternative- hold the solution.

Typically used in instant coffee, the production of Robusta beans has seen a significant boost since the 1990s, primarily due to its durability against hotter and harsher environments. Taking advantage of the bean’s climate resistance, Vietnam now boasts the second-highest coffee bean yields globally after Brazil, consisting almost wholly of Robusta Beans. [6]

But as the climate crisis worsens, Vietnamese farmers are suddenly facing many of the same challenges as their Brazilian counterparts. Extreme droughts have stunted the growth of Robusta plants across the region. For some farmers, emerging markets for more lucrative produce such as durians in China and East Asia have disincentivised the continued growth of coffee, deepening the global shortage. [7]

To discover the true climate impact on coffee in Belfast, I spoke with Professor John Barry, professor of Green Political Economy at Queen’s University Belfast, and former co-leader of the Northern Ireland Green Party. When asked about the global crisis, Professor Barry was blunt and unwavering in his assessment:

“You have no right to have coffee. It’s not there in the UN Declaration of Human Rights. […] I love coffee. I love wine. I love these things that we import. But they’re not essential for life.”

Professor Barry is aware that his statements are controversial, and made repeated references to this throughout our conversation. But he was also clear that his analysis was based on science, and that Northern Ireland’s agricultural challenges stretch far beyond coffee. Elaborating, Professor Barry argued that “we are no longer food secure in Britain or Ireland”.

“We’ve got the best potatoes in the world. And yet we’re importing potatoes, and that’s part of the problem”

From imported potatoes to the large-scale exports of milk and dairy products to China,[8] Professor Barry’s litany of issues affecting our food insecurity were numerous and widespread. Major investment; restructuring the agricultural sector; greater cross-border co-operation on climate action, his solutions often felt insurmountable, especially against the backdrop of increasingly climate-sceptic governments internationally.

Despite this, opportunities remain for hope.

Coffee prices may continue to soar, and the climate crisis will continue to sabotage crop yields globally. But our opposition to these challenges can contribute to positive change. Concluding our discussions, Professor Barry rejected optimism, instead championing hope and the impact of youth action, whether through traditional political routes, or a dinner table conversation with a sceptical family member.

“Optimism is passive, it doesn’t require anything of you and I, I don’t believe in optimism. It’s as we say here in Ireland ack it’ll be grand, [sic] well it won’t be grand, unless we’re active” […] There’s so many ways we can take action and that’s where hope comes from. It’s from agency.”

Professor Barry’s arguments may be ambitious, but the benefits are clear. Belfast’s coffee culture can continue to flourish, caffeine addictions can be maintained, and our food systems can be secure again. But it requires agency and deliberate actions from everyone today to prevent our environmental and agricultural crises from intensifying tomorrow.

References

[1] Watkins, Flora. 2025. “Beware the £5 Coffee.” The Spectator. April 5, 2025. https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/beware-the-5-coffee/.

[2] Mulgrew, John. 2025. “Caffe Nero Eyeing Two New Belfast Coffee Shops.” Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. April 15, 2025. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/food-drink-hospitality/caffe-nero-eyeing-two-new-belfast-coffee-shops/a1674033892.html.

[3] Silva, João da. 2024. “Coffee Prices at Record High after Bad Weather.” BBC News, December 10, 2024. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c36pgrrjllyo.

[4] Global Coffee Report. 2024. “Reality Hit: Brazil’s Coffee Industry Still Struggling to Recover.” Global Coffee Report. October 30, 2024. https://www.gcrmag.com/reality-hit-brazils-coffee-industry-still-struggling-to-recover.

[5] Peng, Ilena, and Dayanne Sousa. 2025. “Arabica Coffee Jumps as Risk of Frost Deepens in Brazil.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg. June 23, 2025. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-23/arabica-coffee-jumps-as-risk-of-frost-deepens-in-brazil?embedded-checkout=true.

[6] Lewis, Kathryn. 2025. “The Rise of Robusta Coffee.” Global Coffee Report. January 15, 2025. https://www.gcrmag.com/the-rise-of-robusta-coffee/.

[7] Lapham, Jake. 2024. “How the World’s Smelliest Fruit Is Making Coffee More Expensive.” BBC News, September 15, 2024. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y37dvlr70o.

[8] BBC News. 2018. “UK China Dairy Deal ‘Important for Northern Ireland.’” BBC News, August 23, 2018. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-45281006.