Coffee Prices on the Way Up Again

If you're an aficionado of fine coffee, you probably have already seen the impact of atypical weather in Colombia on your grocery store shelf; be prepared for more. According to scientists interviewed by the New York Times, this might be an instance where global warming is going to hit you in the pocketbook; coffee prices are going up again.

Certainly the weather has been screwy in the South American country that is the No. 2 two exporter of coffee beans to the U.S. The mountain climate has been warmer and wetter than usual, retarding growth and enhancing conditions for coffee rust, a fungus that attacks coffee plants. The type of coffee bean grown in Colombia and Brazil, Arabica, is particularly valued for its rich-yet-mild flavor and lower caffeine.