Great Coffee Shouldn't Cost The Earth

Caffeine’s editor-at-large Tim Ridley explains how to lower the environmental impact of your coffee-drinking habit

- Tim Ridley

The world is changing – literally. Solid, liquid and gas carbons that have been trapped in the ground for millennia are being burned and their byproducts released into the atmosphere. As the amount of carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere, heat that otherwise would escape into space is trapped. Climate change is the result of this increasing amount of heat in Earth’s geosphere.

As a delicate crop best grown at moderate altitude between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, coffee is particularly affected by climate change, and farmers across the globe are actively working to mitigate this. Higher temperatures and more rain later in the season are two key factors lowering crop yields and increasing the prevalence of disease. As a result, many traditional coffee-growing regions are expected to become unviable as the sweet spot for coffee production moves to higher altitudes in different regions. Not only will this influence the quantity, style and quality of coffees produced, it will also drive for massive social and economic challenges as farmers are forced to transition to other crops or relocate.

My quest to cut my coffee carbon footprint began when I discovered that a single cup of coffee is responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions. A recent study found that a cappuccino has a carbon footprint of approximately 250g of carbon dioxide – the same produced by travelling 40km on Eurostar. Coffee is fuelling the modern world and raising its productivity, but it’s doing so while contributing more than its fair share of carbon. The goods news is there are simple changes we can make today. Here are five ways to reduce your coffee carbon impact.

1. Buy locally