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HOW ENVIRONMENTALLY CLEAN IS COFFEE CONSUMPTION?

According to the British Coffee Association, we consume around 95 million cups of coffee a day, which is equivalent to 644 million cups of coffee a week, or almost 34.5 billion cups of coffee a year. We love coffee. Now the hope is that with such high consumption everyone will contribute their bit from an environmental perspective. Nobody wants to be that person who puts a recyclable coffee cup in a normal container, oh, the looks. But there is much more to the coffee supply chain than just the end consumer, so let's consider all stages of the process and take a look at the environmental impact of the previous steps.

Coffee supply chain and its processes

1.Growing of the coffee plant

The primary coffee producing countries are located around the equator, which has given rise to the term 'The bean belt'. The plant itself flourishes in these countries as they offer the perfect growing conditions: medium to high elevations and tropical conditions. However, the coffee plant does not adapt well to constant sunlight, as this leads to a browning of the leaves. If growers follow best practices, choosing to grow coffee plants should not lead to extensive deforestation and would actually lead to promoting biodiversity. This is an important mark for environmental impact, provided best practices are followed.

Unfortunately, best practices are not and cannot always be followed. According to the Rainforest Alliance, increased coffee production over the past decade has led to more farmland being required, increasing the potential for this land to expand into forested areas. While most coffee was historically produced through shade cultivation, in recent decades, coffee plantations have changed their approaches and have been deforesting large areas of land to maximize sun exposure. Furthermore, coffee production is expected to become an even greater driver of deforestation in the coming decades due to increasing demand, as well as the general effects of climate change that will likely shift suitable regions to higher altitudes than currently. they are made up of valuable forests.

According to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), certain coffee production methods also expose farmers to poor harvests by concentrating all their efforts on growing just one species of plant. This approach causes environmental problems due to a lack of diversification, since it exposes crops to diseases and decreases biodiversity, at the same time that it interferes with the migratory patterns of birds.

Finally, during the entire growth period, which can range from 3 to 5 years, chemical components are sometimes used. Fertilizers can be used to stimulate development. While this presents environmental hazards, such as groundwater contamination or eutrophication, its use can be minimized if optimal growing conditions are present. Pesticides can also be used throughout the growing process, although the coffee plant has its own natural defense mechanism in the form of caffeine. In theory, since robusta has higher amounts of caffeine than arabica, the natural deterrent in arabica may need to be supplemented with pesticides. However, the truth is that many farmers typically cannot afford pesticides or fertilizers, so the plants are often grown unaided.

2.Preparation of coffee

After growing the plants on trees that produce fruit similar to cherries, there are 3 main processing methods available to growers: natural, washed, and honey.

Naturally processed coffees are left to dry on raised patios or beds, whereby the surrounding pulp acts as a wrapper allowing fermentation to occur in a closed environment, all before the cherry is peeled and ground. Washed coffees are first pulped with a machine or with water, and then fermented to remove the mesocarp layer (also known as mucilage), after which they are dried and ground. Honey processing is a method that encompasses both approaches, whereby the cherry is pulped and then dried with the layer of mucilage still left on the parchment.

Of the three methods, the washed coffee process typically requires the most energy, as well as the one that generates the most negative environmental impacts, such as water pollution or waste by-products. Fortunately, both water pollution and the production of waste by-products can (and are) being addressed proactively. Water pollution is being fought by reducing the use of water or by reusing it for biofertilizers. Attempts are also being made to purify the water before returning it to the waterways. In addition to biofertilizers, waste by-products, such as defective cherries or beans, can be reused to create biofuel and biomass for energy.

3.Transportation of whole beans

In a study commissioned by Paulig and conducted by the Finnish National Resource Institute, it was found that the transportation of coffee only accounts for about 4% of the carbon emissions produced during the life cycle of a coffee. Clearly, this depends on the type of transport used to move the coffee from one location to another, but suggests that other parts of the process may account for a larger proportion of the coffee's environmental impact.

4.Roasting, making and consuming coffee

Now we come to the final part of the process. The coffee beans have arrived from the respective regions in which they are grown. Our roasters are now in possession and it's time for them to work their magic. However, this magic requires a lot of energy. In fact, this is considered to be the most energy consuming part of the process.

Both bean roasting and the post-combustion process use considerable amounts of fuel and produce large amounts of emissions, which in part can be attributed to the extreme temperatures at which roasters operate. After roasting, the emissions produced must be oxidized in large industrial afterburners. These emissions are a mix of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are made up of a number of organic chemicals, as well as a number of greenhouse gas emissions.

The environmental impact of coffee making at that time is potentially even greater, although this will largely depend on the energy inputs to that method. For example, the process by which the water is heated or whether energy is required during the extraction process. Machines will require electricity, while more manual methods, such as Aeropress or V60, will not. On a commercial scale in a coffee shop or coffee shop, whichever approach is taken will dramatically increase that energy requirement and therefore the impact.

Another problem with the end of the process is the volume of single-use coffee cups that are used each year. Unfortunately, only a very small percentage of these are actually recycled, which means that the plastic lining on these single-use cups pollutes landfills and contributes to the pollution of our oceans and waterways. While there are roasters that offer biodegradable cups, the impact is still widespread.

GUSTATORY is responsible for adopting all environmental practices to continue generating a pleasant treatment to the planet and giving back a little of the wonders it offers us.