A study published in Wiley journal Sustainable Development challenges the view that robusta coffee is better equipped than other varieties to withstand climate change. Lead author Aaron Davis, senior research leader of crops and global change at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, described the belief in robusta’s superior resilience as an “internet myth” rooted in flawed research. The paper said earlier assessments overlooked drought intolerance and relied on methods such as treating irrigated farms as optimal growing areas. Robusta is more heat-tolerant than arabica, but producers in Brazil, Vietnam and India lack climate suitability for growing it without irrigation, the study found. With tens of millions of bags supplied to global markets each year, mostly from Vietnam and Brazil, and demand increasing worldwide, the findings affect farmers, traders and consumers. The paper warned that irrigation dependence creates risks for profitability and possibly survival, particularly as some regions already face serious water-availability problems. Davis said the global coffee supply needs major structural and systemic change to survive over the long term.