Introduction
Coffee is primarily used as a beverage brewed from roasted coffee beans and is the second most traded commodity after oil. The global coffee market is valued at $ 455 billion and is forecasted to increase by 2026 (Globe Newswire, 2021). The lucrative industry has led to an increase in the valuation of the major coffee chains, including Starbucks Inc and Dunkin Donuts. Coffee is grown in over 80 Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia countries. Brazil is the largest producer, while the U.S. is the largest market for roasted coffee. There are two wide varieties of coffee plants: Arabica, which has a subtle taste, and Robusta, which has a bitter taste.
The proper use of water and the drying process is essential for coffee beans. However, waste from the processing of coffee beans pollutes waterways and represents a risk to biodiversity. It is significant to note that improving the sustainability of the coffee industry has a considerable impact on sustainable and ethical issues (Davis et al., 2019). This should encourage a more sustainable way of farming in order to preserve human labor and the environment. Thus, it is essential to consider the production process and the challenges it generates.
The Menu and Feedback
The basis of the menu in a coffee place is the coffee list; the drinks should be varied for all tastes. For example, this could include espresso, doppio, cappuccino, latte, and filter coffee. Importantly, it is essential to separate the seasonal drinks and offer iced coffee and other coffee-based beverages in the summer and cocoa in the winter (Davis et al., 2019). In order to provide quality coffee, it is imperative to choose responsible suppliers and café staff. Only coffee beans grown with the right technology will ensure excellent taste.
It is significant to note that the coffee market offers options for people on a diet. Excess caffeine can affect the central nervous system and cause anxiety, digestive problems, cardiac arrhythmias, or sleep problems in sensitive individuals. Individuals with specific medical prerequisites may also require a diet with limited caffeine. Coffee producers need to maintain customer feedback to meet their needs. Moreover, communication with the coffee bean farmers is vital to ensure sustainability and improve production processes (Davis et al., 2019). This will help reduce the negative impact on the environment and enhance the sustainability of coffee.
Coffee Growing and Harvesting
The coffee is planted in greenhouses in large, shadowed areas. Seedlings are frequently irrigated and shaded from bright light until they are ready to be transplanted to a common planting area. The coffee plant increases to 15-30 pounds and has shiny, leafy green leaves that alternate in sequence. Freshly planted coffee plants need about 3 to 4 years to produce fruit. White-colored flowers open for a few days at the junction of the leaf and branch, and then the cherry trees emerge. The cherries are green during cultivation but begin to discolor into yellow and red after becoming fully grown.
Soft pulp encircles the beans, which need to be stripped before frying. Coffee cherries spend about nine months reaching optimal nutrient maturity before being harvested entirely. There are two basic techniques for gathering coffee: selective and banded. Selective collection implies a process in which the collector manually chooses the ripe cherries to be harvested (National Coffee Association, 2020). Selective picking is labor-intensive and mainly harvests high-quality Arabica coffee. In Brazil, coffee cherries ripen more uniformly and thus, are harvested using the stripping method, as farmers pick the coffee regardless of whether the cherry is unripe. There is only one main harvesting season in a year in most regions.
Coffee Processing
Coffee is processed in two ways depending on location and local resources, the dry or wet method. Fresh cherries are placed on a spacious plate and allowed to sun-dry for two weeks. Cherries are popped and flipped during the day to discourage damage and covered during the season of rain to prevent them from becoming waterlogged. Then the fruits are spread overnight to ensure they do not absorb the liquid. According to the climate, the drying cycle takes several weeks until all cherries have less than 11% moisture content (National Coffee Association, 2020). In this stage, the external layer will dry and become black, which enables the outer skin to be removed quickly and easily.
After collecting in the damp method, the external peel is stripped from the coffee cherry, ensuring that the grain is dried with only the vellum skin. Fresh cherries are passed through a pulper to detach the skin and flesh from the fruit beans. In this process, the lighter ones float, and the heavy ones drown. The beans are divided according to size by passing them through rotating drums. The remaining residue is removed through fermentation to remove the mucilage parchment layer. The drying process is similar to the dry method as beans are spread on tables to ensure humidity averages 11%. The beans are inspected for deficiencies, including color and overfermentation, by hand or machinery.
Coffee Transport
Coffee transport is a sensitive issue to exporters as the environment affects the beans, leading to loss of taste and quality. Before transporting coffee beans, there are various factors to consider, including the length to reach the importer and the environment in carriers. Moisture content above the optimal temperature leads to pests and mold. In addition, coffee is hygroscopic and consequently easily absorbs water from the environment; thus, moisture conditions present in most transit pose a significant risk. Temperature fluctuations are another challenge that leads to loss of aroma, leading to condensation within the coffee bags. Sea transportation is the most widespread transit technique in the sector because it is inexpensive and permits huge volumes of coffee to be transferred. Jute bags are the industry standard for packaging coffee as they are cost-effective, easy to handle, and stack beans. The pouches of coffee are stacked in plastic-lined transport containers until the ship arrives at the import destination port.
Roasting and Brewing
The packed coffee is tasted to check its taste, quality, and place of origin before roasting through cupping. Brewing coffee converts green beans into small particles that are available for sale in coffee bars. The beans go through a chemical process called pyrolysis, which causes sugar browning and caramelization. Roasting machines maintain a temperature of 440 degrees Fahrenheit during roasting (National Coffee Association, 2020). The roasting process extracts the green coffee aroma, acidity, and flavor. The roasted beans are cooled by air or water and packaged for customers or ground for fresh coffee in markets such as Starbucks Inc.
Sustainability in Coffee Production
Environmental
The increase in coffee production has resulted in numerous environmental and ecological issues. Traditional coffee production methods entail cultivating coffee under shaded trees. This technique contributes to a working ecosystem as the farmers encourage conservation efforts. However, the introduction of sun-grown coffee plants whose produce is thrice that of the shaded version has led to deforestation of the landscape. The increase in sun-grown coffee varieties has led to a decline as the trees are harvested to make way for coffee plants (Moore, 2019). Forest deforestation reduces the biodiversity of animals and flora; hence, sustainable coffee plants cultivated in the sun are unstable. Biodiversity deprivation is harmful to the environment, contributing to climate change, where less carbon is appropriated from the environment.
Modern coffee production methods employ intensive pesticides that present ecological issues. The increased use of fertilizer inputs contaminates waterways as the chemicals leech into nearby water sources, depleting oxygen and destroying aquatic life. Coffee is usually mono-cropped, a cultivation method that alters soil pH and nutrients. Waste from processing coffee beans contaminates waterways and poses a significant risk to biodiversity. The discharge of processing plants into rivers triggers eutrophication of the system, thus killing aquatic wildlife. There is a need for coffee importers to establish legal requirements on fair business practices and environmental diligence. Due diligence can ensure that companies identify and mitigate the negative impacts of coffee production on the environment (Alliance, 2021). The legal framework can include sustainable coffee production methods, including banning hazardous pesticides.
Social Sustainability and Certification
Social sustainability concerns affect coffee production due to the low prices for the high-demand product. The low international prices have put the livelihoods of small-scale producers under constant pressure due to the complexities within the supply chain. As a result of the cutbacks in the supply chain, most small farmers were subjected to swings in the precarious coffee market, impoverishing many of them as a consequence. There are two certification measures for coffee production that ensure minimum wage pay, including Fairtrade Foundation and Rainforest Alliance-certified growers. The Fairtrade fund aims to address poverty reduction by offering cost-protected and structured low prices. This is done by eliminating the middleman and allowing coffee cooperatives to deal with retailers directly. The Rainforest Alliance Certified growers focus on environmental conservation by encouraging sustainable land-use practices.
Impact of Climate Change
Climate change affects coffee yields as the changing temperatures and rainfall patterns affect plant growth. In addition, the changing climate increases coffee plants’ susceptibility to diseases such as leaf rust. Coffee plants are badly affected by temperature changes, and many species may become extinct. Unpredictable climate impacts crop quality as farmers cannot plan planting and harvesting seasons. Picking coffee becomes a struggle as the trees do not flower simultaneously due to unstable seasonal temperatures. The rising temperatures will force farmers to venture into cooler temperatures as coffee grows well in higher altitude areas. The Fairtrade Foundation and Rainforest Alliance should ensure conversation about genetic diversity in the sustainable coffee production certifications.
Conclusion
Hence, the two primary varieties of the coffee plant are Arabica and Robusta. There are also two basic methods of harvesting coffee: selective and strip picking. According to location and local inputs, coffee is cultivated in two ways, either dry or wet. A water range of less than 11% is essential to preserve the high quality of the beans. Seaborne transport is the most widespread transit path in this industry since it is cheap and permits the shipment of massive quantities of coffee. The expansion of coffee production has resulted in multiple ecological challenges, including deforestation, biodiversity reduction, and water contamination. Issues of social sustainability involve low compensation for minority laborers. A changing environment influences coffee growing through temperature fluctuations that affect the planting and picking periods. Certification by the Fairtrade Foundation and Rainforest Alliance-certified producers assures compliance with sustainability practices in the organic coffee sector.
Reference List
Alliance, R. (2021) Tackling global coffee sustainability crises requires the entire sector to step forward. Rainforest Alliance.
Davis, A. et al. (2019) “High extinction risk for wild coffee species and implications for coffee sector sustainability,”Science advances, 5(1), p. 3473.
Globe Newswire. (2021) Global $465.9 billion coffee market (value, volume) analysis and forecast to 2026. GlobeNewswire News Room.
Moore, V. (2019) Environmental impact of the coffee trade – facts and figures.Sustainable Business Toolkit.
National Coffee Association. (2020) Ten steps from seed to cup.Ncausa.org.