Burning Question: Is Coffee Sustainable?

Cameron, a former student employee at the Auraria Sustainable Campus Program, asked, “Is coffee sustainable?”  

The coffee industry at its core is not very sustainable, but there are many ways to reduce the environmental impact of your favorite beverage to bring to class.  

If you do drink coffee, make sure it’s Arabica 

There are two main types of coffee grown: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is grown in the shade, and Robusta is grown in the sun. Arabica allows for a diversity of plants to grow around it, with minimal disturbance in the area. Because Robusta grows in the sun, the area is deforested and mono-cropped in high density, and the farmers use more pesticides on the plant. This leads to a cycle of chemicals contaminating water sources, and deforestation and mono-cropping causing the soil to erode (2). Due to a 60% increase in coffee production in the last 30 years, more farmers are forced to grow Robusta because they can grow it in higher density than Arabica (4). If you’re going out for coffee, ask your local cafe or roaster if they use Arabica or Robusta coffee beans (2). 

Switch to tea (even for just a couple days a week)! 

It takes 37 gallons of water to process 4.2 ounces of coffee, mainly because of the fresh water required to wash and de-pulp the beans. Making the same amount of tea only requires one-tenth the amount of water, so alternating or switching to tea can reduce your ecological footprint. (2).  

In addition to water usage, coffee consumption is increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions because of the demand for fresh coffee. More coffee is being shipped by freight flights instead of cargo ships, producing more CO2, a greenhouse gas (2). One pound of coffee emits 11 pounds of carbon emissions through the production process. It is now the second most traded commodity after oil (6). In general, you can avoid foods that are air-freighted by purchasing foods that are locally grown and in-season (3). 

Check your labels and ask questions 

Try to buy coffee that is labeled Fair Trade, Alliance, 4C, or Smithsonian Bird Friendly (2). Fair Trade is a third-party certification “that was made according to rigorous standards that promote sustainable livelihoods, safe working conditions, protection of the environment, and strong, transparent supply chains” (1).  

Not only does coffee have a large environmental impact, but also a massive impact on the farmers who grow it. 25 million farmers produce 80% of the world’s coffee, and half of them live below the international poverty line. Over one fifth of them live in extreme poverty. Farmers usually receive 7-10% of the retail price of one kilogram of coffee sold (about 2.2 pounds). In addition to wages, a 2020 investigation found that children as young as eight years old were found working 40-hour weeks on plantations that supply coffee for Starbucks and Nespresso (2). Look for third-party certifications when purchasing coffee beans and ask what company your local coffee shops purchase coffee beans from. 

A little goes a long way 

If all of this has left a bitter taste in your mouth, there are other small ways to decrease your carbon footprint when it comes to coffee. The first is to bring a reusable mug to the coffee shop. Americans dispose of 50 billion coffee cups per year, many of which are non-recyclable in certain parts of the US (4). Another way to help is to switch to alternative milk. Plant-based milk (like oat) has one-third of the climate impact of dairy milk (2).  

Sources 

1. Fair Trade Certified. What is fair trade certified coffee? Accessed September 30, 2025. https://www.fairtradecertified.org/what-we-do/what-we-certify/coffee/ 

2. Perkins, C. (July 27, 2022). Wonder about the impact of your daily cup of coffee on the planet? Here’s the bitter truth. TED. Accessed September 30, 2025. https://ideas.ted.com/truth-about-coffee-impact-on-environment-planet/ 

3. Ritchie, H. (January 24, 2020). You want to reduce the carbon footprint of your food? Focus on what you eat, not whether your food is local. Our World in Data. Accessed September 30, 2025. https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local 

4. Carbon Click. (January 31, 2024). The environmental impact of coffee growing and transportation. Carbon Click. Accessed September 30, 2025. https://www.carbonclick.com/news-views/the-environmental-impact-of-coffee-growing-and-transportation