What Everybody Ought To Know About Coffee

Do you know the environmental impact of coffee ?

Do you drink coffee?

I find it pretty hard to get through the day without a cup of coffee.

You too?

When I think about coffee I consider fair trade coffee, and of course I’ve heard of shade grown coffee, but I hadn’t really thought through the full environmental impact of coffee until I read a most interesting article on Steps to Recovery.

In this article: Why coffee has such a big environmental impact, and what we can do about it

What’s the Problem?

Well, the environmental impact of coffee is rapidly increasing as our demand for the rich, dark, flavoursome drink increases.

And the cup that we drink with such enjoyment, is probably contributing to deforestation and wildlife decimation.

Why?

Coffee plants used to grow under the shade of trees. Other crops (such as fruit bushes, corn and beans) were grown in between the coffee plants. They all worked together to add and remove a great mixture of nutrients to and from the soil, and provide biodiversity.

But the traditional way of growing coffee just wasn’t economical enough to produce coffee beans in the quantities needed to satisfy our appetite for the drink.

A shadeless system is more efficient for humans, but lousy for the environment.

Most coffee now comes from a single strain of sun tolerant plants, which depend heavily on agricultural chemicals for their growth.

What’s Gone Wrong?

The environmental impact of coffee grown in non-shade plantations includes:

1. Deforestation. Areas of native trees are cleared to allow more intensive production of coffee. Removing trees causes increased carbon emissions, soil erosion, and reduced soil fertility.
2. Reduced biodiversity.  Coffee plantations are a monoculture and so reduce plant biodiversity – but they also have only a small fraction of the bird species found in traditional systems. Gone are the multiple animals, birds, insects, and more that used to live in traditional coffee-growing areas.  To make matters worse, invasive weeds move into cleared areas and make it more difficult for other species to settle. This is a particular threat to species already in decline.
3. High energy input. Use of machinery for applying agrichemicals and removing weeds increases greenhouse gas production.
4. Use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. These pollute the soil as well as water supplies. Fertilizers are also responsible for a process known as eutrophication, which strips water-based ecosystems of their diversity.
5. Use of genetically modified (GM) coffee plants. The environmental impact of these GM crops is not yet known, so their introduction may create further problems for the future.

So, What Can We Do

There are several things that we can all do, and they’re all easy.

• Think before you drink! Reduce your consumption of coffee. You don’t have to cut it out altogether (unless you want to), but many of us Reducing our demand for coffee will have an impact.
• Choose Bird Friendly Coffee. This is a stringent eco-label for coffee, and is also certified organic. Sadly, it’s not necessarily easy to find, and it’s not cheap either. But you’ll know you’re drinking coffee that’s best for the planet, with the least environmental impact. Easier to find and generally less expensive is shade-grown, sustainable coffee. A quick search on Google will show many brands. However, be aware that a “shade-grown coffee” label may not necessarily indicate traditional methods. See this article  for an excellent commentary on exactly what “shade grown” can mean.
• Brew coffee at home so you can buy the good stuff.  Don’t buy coffee at coffee shops – they tend to use the relatively cheap varieties that are detrimental to the environment. By buying bird friendly coffee grounds instead, you’ll be able to have more coffees at home – and relax and enjoy them, knowing you’re helping to reduce the environmental impact of coffee.

A Final Thought

As I typed the beginning of this article, saying I need my daily cup of coffee, I began to wonder if I’m actually addicted to coffee.

Addictions are dangerous, as they cause us to go and grab what we want, without thought for the consequences.

To live green, we need to consider the impact of all of our purchases – and even our addictions.

If you, or someone you know, smokes cigarettes, we all know how bad they are for our health. But what about the environment? Steps to Recovery also looks at the environmental impact of tobacco here   There are some pretty horrifying statistics in this article!

Steps to Recovery also have articles on the horrible environmental consequences of cocaine  and crystal meth (I had no idea!).

Ecstasy isn’t much better. And did you know that marijuana  has a significant impact on climate change?

It’s truly horrifying what our addictions cost the Earth.

Please spread the word about the environmental impact of coffee and other substances – sharing buttons below and right – and let me know what you think in the Comments below – thank you!