# Coffee Leaf Rust

/ˈkɔfi lif rʌst/ (US) · /ˈkɒfi liːf rʌst/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Compound

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/coffee-leaf-rust
Updated: 2026-09-20

## Definition

a harmful fungus that grows on the leaves of coffee plants, making them turn yellow and fall off so the plant cannot grow coffee beans

For teachers: a devastating fungal disease caused by Hemileia vastatrix that targets coffee foliage, inhibiting photosynthesis and ultimately reducing crop yields or killing the plant.

## Examples

- Farmers are worried because coffee leaf rust is spreading through their fields.
- The price of Arabica beans rose this year after a severe outbreak of coffee leaf rust affected several major plantations in Colombia.
- Agricultural scientists are currently developing hybrid cultivars that possess a natural genetic resistance to coffee leaf rust without compromising the cup profile.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.