Demand For Organic Coffee Surges, Study Finds Its Production Has Lowest Carbon Footprint For Coffee Producers – CoffeeTalk

A new study in Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy has found that certified organic coffee producers in Peru have a lower carbon footprint than transitional organic coffee farmers. The study was conducted on ten farms in Cajamarca, Peru, which are members of an organic coffee cooperative. Five of the farms are “organic” and the other five are “in transition,” meaning some practices and principles are applied but not subject to inspection and certification.

The average emissions for the production units classified as in transition are equivalent to 1.11 kg CO2e per kilogram of green coffee, while for the organic production units, the average emissions associated with 1 kg of green coffee are equivalent to 0.68 kg CO2e. The researchers conducted a life cycle assessment, analyzing the carbon footprint of each farm through an iterative process in alignment with the International Organization for Standardization principles and framework followed by researchers internationally.

The study found that one way to reduce the carbon footprint of organic coffee production is through the use of organic fertilizers produced on site. Organic fertilizers are those that come from organic wastes that have been decomposed by microbial means. It was observed that “organic” production units PU08 and PU07, and the “in transition” production unit PU02 have the best relative eco-efficiency by having the best combination of lower costs and environmental impacts.

An opportunity for improvement to be developed by the government is to develop specific guidelines for the management of organic coffee that will serve as a tool to transfer knowledge, especially to small farmers whose main reference is the knowledge transmitted from generation to generation. This type of study establishes a roadmap for the continuous research that organic advocates believe incentivizes farmers to transition to organic for a variety of benefits, including soil health and carbon sequestration.

Considering that there are few carbon footprint studies of organic coffee in small farms, and most of the world’s coffee production is concentrated in developing countries, the aim of this study is to analyze and estimate the carbon footprint of organic coffee in order to provide knowledge that can be used to design mitigation strategies in the Peruvian coffee sector located in Cajamarca, Peru. In conclusion, researchers intend to launch an additional study that will incorporate more organic and transitional sites to build the credibility of these initial findings.

The state of organic coffee in the United States is currently a mix of supply and demand, with only 49 certified organic coffee farms in California and Hawai’i contributing just shy of $1.5 million in sales. This is due to climate constraints necessary for healthy production, as noted by Coffee Intelligence. The industry has faced setbacks in certification due to a 17.7% decline in organic farmland between 2021 and 2022.

Colehour Bondera, a Hawai’i-based organic farmer and Beyond Pesticides Board member, emphasizes the importance of soil and tree health in organic coffee production. He has been working with other organic farms and representatives from the University of Hawaii, USDA, and Korean Natural Farming to quantify and qualify the impacts of local management and inputs that meet organic standards.

The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and IFOAM-Organic International’s 2024 report shows that certified organic coffee production increased 7.9% between 2013 and 2022, but the industry has faced setbacks in certification due to the 17.7% decline in organic farmland. The majority of organic coffee is grown in Central and South America, with Peru producing the majority of certified organic coffee compared to its neighbors.

The relationship between increased consumer interest in certified organic and lagging domestic organic production is also reflected in economic data gathered by the USDA. In 2021, the total value of organic imports was $2.7 billion, and the U.S. is projected to import 24.5 million bags of coffee beans due to continuous demand for coffee.

Bondera believes that small scale organic coffee production can be achieved if all farmers work together to the same purposes and support one another. Support for organic agriculture continues to mount ahead of the National Organic Standards Board fall meeting, which will review public comments and make decisions that will define the integrity of national organic standards.

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