Like most agricultural products, coffee beans have an environmental footprint. The journey from bean to cup involves many steps and supply chains. Finding a sustainable coffee source means finding coffee that is environmentally farmed, harvested, and packaged.
The way the coffee plant is grown has environmental consequences. A shift from “shade grown” to “full sun” coffee plant growing comes with harmful effects. Full sun coffee is grown without other plant species and often uses deforested land for maximum sun impact. Shade grown coffee on farms reduced from 43% to 24% between 1996 and 2010. Find coffee that is shade grown certified.
A coffee guide by the Audubon Society tells consumers to avoid beans grown in Vietnam or Brazil. While these are the two largest coffee-producing countries, the majority of farms in these areas use full sun cultivation techniques. India, Ecuador, and Peru coffees are often shade grown.
When buying coffee, it’s also important to consider how you will make the coffee at home. Sujatha Bergen, Director of Health Campaigns, Health and Food Division of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), told Mic how to consume coffee responsibly, “at the same time, billions of coffee cups are thrown away each year around the world, and only a tiny fraction of these are recycled. The plastic coating on these cups pollutes our landfills, and contributes to the global plastic Pollution problem that plagues our oceans and waterways.”
There are a few other ways to advocate for better coffee agriculture. Don’t buy single-use coffee pods and bring your own cups to cafes. Bergen also encourages citizens to lobby and vote for trade policy in their home countries. These policies affect the supply and demand of coffee and contribute to safe environmental agriculture.
Read more about coffee in One Green Planet. Check out these articles:
- 4 Eco-friendly Coffee and Tea Essentials
- 4 Foods That Are Eating the World’s Forests And How to Choose Better
- Know Your Joe! The Conscious Consumer’s Guide to Buying Coffee
- 15 Good-For-The-World Coffee Products For National Gourmet Coffee Day!
For more Animal, Earth, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter! Also, don’t forget to download the Food Monster App on iTunes — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest meatless, vegan and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy!
Lastly, being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
Comments