Source: IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) December 11, 2012 Dar es Salaam – Growing coffee and banana together not only generates more income for small-holder farmers, compared to growing either crop alone, but it can also help coffee production to better cope with the effects of climate change, a recent study has shown. The study, which sought to understand the potential impact of climate change on coffee-based livelihoods in the East African highlands, found that the areas suitable for growing Arabica coffee will drastically decrease in the future leading to losses in the region that may exceed US$100 million annually. This is not only a threat to the countries’ foreign revenue, but it also puts at risk the livelihoods of millions of small-holder farmers depending on the crop. The researchers from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in collaboration with those from the Colombian-based International Center for Tr...