Coffee Sustainability: Is Coffee Bad for the Environment?

Our modern society is undoubtedly addicted to coffee (and lattes, Frappuccinos, cappuccinos, macchiatos, and any other number of espresso-based drinks).

But does this worldwide addiction have more of an impact than just on our energy levels and anxiety? Is coffee bad for the environment? Well, as it turns out, yes.

Conventional coffee production is highly unsustainable and can lead to a myriad of environmental impacts ranging from deforestation and soil erosion to water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Fortunately, the growing awareness of coffee sustainability has led many brands to focus on how to make the farming, growing, processing, and drinking of coffee more eco-friendly. In this article, we’ll describe the modern agricultural practices of growing coffee that harm the environment and the top sustainable coffee brands to support.

How Coffee Production Affects the Environment

All stages of conventional coffee production has many negative effects on the environment, including deforestation, soil erosion, excessive water use and pollution, pesticides, greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and more.

Modern Farming Practices and Deforestation

In the centuries-long history of coffee growing, farming practices were more sustainable, done on a smaller scale, and closely tied to the natural environment of the tropical forests where it originated (like Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam). 

Coffee was almost always grown under the shade of dense and lush trees, and it was often grown alongside other crops (like fruit trees, vegetables, or spices) in a “polyculture” farming system. 

Large conventional coffee corporations now rely on sun-grown, monoculture coffee farming practices. This can lead to habitat and biodiversity loss, deforestation, soil degradation, and water pollution. While growing coffee plants in the sun accelerates their growth and yield, sun-grown coffee leads to deforestation because forests are cleared to create open fields without tree overgrowth. 

As Brazil and Vietnam are the world’s largest producers of coffee, they are also the most impacted by deforestation, including the Atlantic Forest and parts of the Amazon in Brazil and the Central Highlands in Vietnam.

In addition to deforestation harming trees, forest clearing also causes a loss of biodiversity and wildlife that live in those forests.

Soil Degradation

Conventional monoculture farming of coffee plants depletes the soil of nutrients and contributes to soil degradation over time.

Declining soil health is also linked to deforestation and sun-grown coffee, as the loss of the forests’ protective tree covers causes soil to become more vulnerable to erosion. 

Other factors that deplete soil health include the widespread use of pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers in conventional coffee farming. 

Maintaining soil health in coffee-growing regions includes growing in the shade, growing with other crops (polyculture), and looking for a USDA Organic and Fair Trade certifications.

Fair trade and wages are important for soil health (and so much more) because farmers not getting paid fairly can put pressure on them to use environmentally harmful methods to increase short-term yields and make a living.

Conversely, fairly paid farmers can focus on sustainable and regenerative growing methods that help soil health but may take longer, include avoiding pesticides, rotating crops, and contour planting to help prevent water runoff and soil erosion. 

Water Usage

It’s estimated that each cup of coffee requires 140 liters of water to grow, process, and transport the beans, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Conventional coffee farming, processing, and cleaning use immense amounts of water to support coffee crops (especially in dry seasons). This depletes local water resources, contributes to droughts, and disrupts ecosystems. 

Not only that, but non-organic coffee farming and processing can release pesticide and chemical-laden waste and runoff, polluting rivers or local water bodies. 

High Carbon Footprint

As coffee grows best in tropical climates, the beans are often transported long distances to meet consumer needs, contributing to large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

Brazil cultivates more than one-third of the world’s coffee, and the United States is the largest importer, meaning the beans have a long way to go to get to our Keurigs. 

The carbon footprint of coffee is also elevated by energy-demanding stages of production, processing, cleaning, and brewing. 

Packaging Waste

Lastly, between daily K-cups and plastic-encased iced lattes, certain types of coffee produce enormous amounts of waste. Although this could be said for any beverage, coffee drinkers are often consuming their drinks on the go, leading to an uptick in disposable cups.

In fact, it’s estimated that a whopping 50 billion paper coffee cups in the U.S. end up in landfills every year.

However, the entire coffee supply chain (from growing to harvesting to processing to packaging to shipping) can create waste from varying sources. 

To minimize the environmental impact of your daily cup, bring your coffee mug with you (if the cafe allows it) or make your coffee at home (your wallet will thank you, too) in a French press or drip coffee maker with compostable filters.

Does Sustainable Coffee Exist?

It’s not all doom and gloom and ditching lattes forever—many coffee farmers and brands are discovering the importance of coffee sustainability and are paving the way for what sustainable, responsible, and ethical coffee production looks like.

There are several ways to make coffee more sustainable, from the crop to your cup. 

Practices for increasing the sustainability of coffee growing and drinking include:

• Buying organic coffee reduces the reliance on harmful pesticides and promotes soil health. 
• Buying shade-grown coffee cultivated under the canopy of native trees, helping to preserve forests and biodiversity. Look for the Bird-Friendly Certification, developed by ecologists at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, which is is the only true “shade-grown certification” that has the most stringent shade and habitat standards of any coffee certification.
• Look for Fair Trade Certifications or other ethical certifications like Rainforest Alliance that ensure farmers receive a fair wage and promote more sustainable farming practices. Farmers not getting paid fairly for their work can put pressure on them to use environmentally harmful methods to increase short-term yields.
• Not using disposable coffee pods or to-go cups. 

For more information on how to shop more sustainably for other favorite foods, check out our sustainable eating guide.

While personal responsibility in what we purchase and how we consume coffee is undoubtedly essential, much of the change needs to come from the coffee industry and corporations (lookin’ at you, Starbucks, Keurig, and Nestlé) or government regulations for reforestation, pollution, water management, and fair wages.

Some sustainable and ethical coffee beans to purchase include:

• Frinj Coffee: A brand pioneering California-grown coffee to reduce coffee’s carbon footprint and not contribute to deforestation. 
• Tiny Footprint: A small-batch carbon-neutral coffee that supports reforestation, habitat protection, and fair trade.
• Pachamama: An organic, shade-grown, and sustainable coffee brand owned by coffee farmers in Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, and Ethiopia and roasted in California.
• Equal Exchange: One of the first companies to prioritize fair trade and build alternative supply chains for coffee, chocolate, and tea. 
• Conscious Coffees: A Colorado-based roaster and Certified B Corp focusing on fair trade and buying directly from small-scale coffee farms. 
• Grounds for Change: A Fair for Life Certified, Carbon-Free Certified, USDA Organic, small-batch coffee roaster. 
• Cafe Mam: 100% organic, Fair Trade Certified, Small Producer Certified, shade-grown coffee beans grown by fair trade cooperatives of native Maya farmers in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico.

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