Nab, C;
Maslin, M;
(2020)
Life cycle assessment synthesis of the carbon footprint of Arabica coffee: Case study of Brazil and Vietnam conventional and sustainable coffee production and export to the United Kingdom.
Geo: Geography and Environment
, 7
(2)
, Article e00096. 10.1002/geo2.96.
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Abstract
Over 9.5 billion kg of coffee is produced annually and demand is expected to triple by 2050. Hence, the identification and quantification of the greenhouse gas emission footprint of coffee is essential if it is to become a more sustainable crop. We have produced a detailed life cycle assessment of the carbon equivalent footprint of coffee produced in Brazil and Vietnam and exported to the United Kingdom. The average carbon footprint of Arabica coffee from both countries was calculated as 15.33 (±0.72) kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per 1 kg of green coffee (kg CO2e kg−1 ) for conventional coffee production and 3.51 (±0.13) kg CO2e kg−1 for sustainable coffee production. The 77% reduction in carbon footprint for sustainable coffee production in comparison to conventional production was due to exportation of coffee beans via cargo ship rather than freight flight and the reduction of agrochemical inputs. Based on our results, further reductions could be made through optimal use of agrochemicals; reduced packaging; more efficient water heating; renewable energy use; roasting beans before exportation; and carbon offsetting. Applying these recommendations correctly through certification schemes could mitigate other environmental impacts of coffee cultivation.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Life cycle assessment synthesis of the carbon footprint of Arabica coffee: Case study of Brazil and Vietnam conventional and sustainable coffee production and export to the United Kingdom |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1002/geo2.96 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1002/geo2.96 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Earth Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Dept of Geography |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10118702 |
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