Carbon footprints and CO2 removal in primary production of coffee: a meta-analytical review

Cornelius, Jonathan, Hardy, Flaam W., and Harvey, Celia A. (2025) Carbon footprints and CO2 removal in primary production of coffee: a meta-analytical review. Environmental Reviews, 33.

Preview

PDF (Published Version) - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
Download (1MB) | Preview

DOI: 10.1139/er-2024-0079

View at Publisher Website: https://doi.org/10.1139/er-2024-0079

Abstract

Producing countries and value-chain participants are seeking to minimize the effect of coffee production on global warming. In support of this goal, we present a global review of carbon footprints and atmospheric-CO2 removal rates in primary production of coffee, based on 21 studies of carbon footprint and 16 with data on CO2 removal rate. We aimed to characterize typical values, identify determinants, compare arabica and robusta coffee, compare cropping systems, and suggest ways of reducing footprints and increasing CO2 removal rates. The median ± interquartile range of carbon footprints of coffee production were 2954 ± 3636 CO2e ha−1 year−1 (area carbon footprint, ACF) and 2.18 ± 2.04 CO2e kg−1 green beans (product carbon footprint, PCF). Manufacture and application of fertilizers, particularly nitrogenous fertilizers, were almost always the main emissions sources (65%–100% of the total). ACF was significantly higher in arabica than robusta, while ACFs of agroforestry and organic systems were <50% of those of unshaded and non-organic systems; these differences were also significant. PCF of organic production was significantly lower than that of non-organic production, but marginally so; no other significant differences in PCF were found. The median CO2 removal rate of unshaded production was 6990 ± 3405 kg CO2 ha−1 year−1. For agroforestry production the median was much higher (17 676 ± 3971 kg CO2 ha−1 year−1). Removal rates of organic and non-organic production did not differ significantly. We present a generalized approach for reducing the overall global-warming effect of coffee production, consisting of 10 options for interventions within an overarching principle of zero deforestation. Wider use of agroforestry production and use of organic nitrogen sources are features of eight of the interventions. Implementation of the interventions will also require the building of enabling frameworks that allow farmers to meet climate-change mitigation goals without sacrificing productivity or profitability.


Item ID:	88541
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1208-6053
Keywords:	agroforestry, climate-change mitigation, Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora, greenhouse gas
Copyright Information:	© 2025 Copyright remains with the author Cornelius; and the Rainforest Alliance. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
Date Deposited:	04 May 2026 23:11
FoR Codes:	30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3002 Agriculture, land and farm management > 300210 Sustainable agricultural development @ 50% 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4101 Climate change impacts and adaptation > 410101 Carbon sequestration science @ 50%
SEO Codes:	26 PLANT PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 2601 Environmentally sustainable plant production > 260101 Management of gaseous waste from plant production (excl. greenhouse gases) @ 50% 19 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATURAL HAZARDS > 1903 Mitigation of climate change > 190310 Management of greenhouse gas emissions from plant production @ 50%
	More Statistics

Actions (Repository Staff Only)

Item Control Page