Assessing the environmental impact of coffee farming is the topic of a new scientific review published in the Sustainable Production and Consumption journal, with the commodity increasingly threatened by climate change in many parts of the world.
The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) commissioned the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) to review the current processes for green coffee, which in turn would reveal a more accurate picture of how to measure the environmental impact of the industry.
Life-cycle based assessment
“Life cycle-based assessments are complex and based on numerous simplifications and choices,” commented Cécile Chéron-Bessou, lead CIRAD researcher on the review. “A key principle for these assessments is therefore absolute transparency around the exact choices and assumptions made as part of modelling.”
As part of its research, CIRAD reviewed 34 studies and international agricultural guidelines on measuring carbon footprints to assess the carbon footprint of coffee.
These studies covered diverse regions and settings where coffee is grown. For instance, 72% of the farm systems studied were located in Central and South America, which collectively contribute to 70% of global coffee production.
Among the factors that influence the carbon footprint of green coffee is land use change – human-driven changes in the use or management of land.
Other factors identified in the study included the use of nitrogen fertilisers at different levels, the decomposition of coffee residues from pruning, leaf litter, and coffee husks, and emissions from the wet process, which involves cleaning, sorting, and drying coffee cherries and beans.
Standardised measurements
The published review was conducted in parallel to a more detailed report that provides a series of recommendations to standardise measurement in these areas.
For example, it suggests simple guidelines to identify representative measurements for various coffee farm systems and ensure consistent application of land use change modelling. Additionally, it outlines methodologies for accurately estimating total biomass, including roots, of other trees present in coffee systems.
Since coffee is a perennial crop that can live for many years without replanting, the review also provides guidance on accurate modelling and average measurement across trees at different stages of maturity.
“We hope our review will serve as a robust tool for transparent and sound measurement of green coffee’s carbon footprint – helping farmers and researchers to support good practices for sustainable coffee growing,” commented Chéron-Bessou.
You can read the full report, Unravelling life cycle impacts of coffee: Why do results differ so much among studies?, here.
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