New wild coffee species discovered

Before the end of 2009, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew announced the discovery of a staggering 250 new plant and fungi species, previously unstudied.  For those of you who are not familiar with Kew's work -and believe me, before this news came out, I was one of you- they are dedicated to ultimate understanding of the worlds of plants and fungi.  Their mission statement is nothing short of: To inspire and deliver science-based plant conservation worldwide, enhancing the quality of life.  Read about the Royal Botanical Gardens center.This year was a landmark year for new discoveries by Kew, including the discovery of seven -count 'em- seven new wild species of coffee, a discovery that in their words could mean the long-term survival of the coffee industry.“We’re still finding new species of coffee, including those directly related to crop plants,” says Kew’s coffee expert Dr Aaron Davis. “Coffee is the world’s second most traded commodity, after oil, with at least 25 million farming families dependent on its production for their livelihoods, yet we still have much to learn about its wild relatives. We estimate that 70% of wild coffee species are in danger of extinction due to habitat loss and climate change."Read all about the new coffee species discovery.