In this modern era, drinking a cup of coffee has become a daily routine for many. Have you ever thought about the environmental impacts of our favorite drink?

Carbon Footprint of Coffee

From farming, distributing, to roasting and packaging, each step of the coffee supply chain contributes to carbon emissions. According to Climate Wave Coffee, around 247 grams of CO2 is emitted per cup of black coffee. Adding milk adds up to this number, and it varies according to the type of milk. For instance, a dairy milk latte emits 880 g of CO2 while an oat milk latte emits 430 g of CO2. Farming activities including planting, protecting, harvesting, drying, and grading account for the largest portion (85%) of the total emissions. 10% of the emissions come from packaging and retail, 4% come from roasting, and 1% comes from transport [1]. The main sources of emissions in coffee farming are the use of nitrogen fertilizers, decomposition of pruning residue, soil liming, burning diesel, and soil degradation [2].

Climate Impact on Coffee

The coffee industry contributes to climate change, and conversely, climate change affects coffee production. Coffee plants need optimal temperature, soil, and environment to continuously produce coffee. The climate crisis brings inconsistent weather patterns, rising temperature, lack of rainfall, and dropping humidity, ultimately deteriorating coffee plants productivity and quality. Hotter temperature disturbs plants’ metabolism and induces the spread of leaf rust parasite - a parasite with a history of wiping out most of the world’s coffee supply in the 18th century [3]. A study found that out of 124 known coffee species, 75 species (60%) are threatened to go extinct due to deforestation, climate change, disease, and pests; 9 species have not been seen for decades and could have been extinct. Initially, Arabica coffee - the most widely traded coffee in the world - is considered not threatened. But after factoring in climate change, its status becomes endangered [4].

Reducing Coffee’s Carbon Footprint

There are some strategies that can be taken to reduce the carbon footprint of coffee:

• Use shade grown coffee method. Growing trees along with coffee plants absorbs more carbon, improves soil health, preserves biodiversity, lowers temperature, and increases moisture [5].
• Increase the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizers, such as conducting soil tests to avoid over-application of nitrogen and applying nitrogen in nitrate form [6].
• Source locally. Distributors and coffee shops should purchase coffee made locally to cut off the emissions from transportation.
• Use compostable coffee packaging such as kraft paper or rice paper.
• Brew larger batches of coffee to increase the energy efficiency of the brewing machine.
• Opt for plant-based milk alternatives which have lower emission compared to dairy milk.
• Compost coffee grounds to reduce emissions from food waste.

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References:

[1] Climate Wave Coffee. (2023). Distribution of Coffee’s Carbon Emission. Climate Wave Coffee. https://www.climatewave.coffee/coffee-carbon-emission-distribution-within-coffee-value-chain

[2] Imaflora. (n.d.). BALANCE OF GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS FROM COFFEE PRODUCTION ON DATERRA COFFEE FARMS INDEX. In Imaflora. https://admin.imaflora.org/public/media/biblioteca/relatorio_daterra_ingles_final_2.pdf

[3] Clive Coffee. (n.d.). How Climate Change is Affecting Coffee. Clive Coffee. https://clivecoffee.com/blogs/learn/how-climate-change-is-affecting-coffee

[4] Dasgupta, S. (2019). Coffee in trouble: 60% of wild coffee species threatened with extinction. Mongabay. https://news.mongabay.com/2019/01/coffee-in-trouble-60-of-wild-coffee-species-threatened-with-extinction/

[5] Malmros, C. (2024). Shade Grown Coffee Increases C02 Carbon Sequestration. Bird & Wild. https://birdandwild.co.uk/blogs/blog/shade-grown-coffee-increases-c02-carbon-removal

[6] Yara. (2019). How to improve nitrogen-use efficiency. Yara. https://www.yara.co.uk/grow-the-future/efficient-farming/nitrogen-use-efficiency/