If you're a coffee professional who values direct relationships with producers and transparency, you're probably also interested in the environmental impact of coffee production. That includes what's happening at your roastery (Scope 1 and 2 emissions) and at origin (Scope 3 emissions—those you don’t directly control but that are linked to your operations).
We’ve been thinking about this too. How could we help roasters like you understand your carbon footprint and encourage others to do the same?
Since we move coffee from origin to destination, we already had data to calculate the carbon emissions for each coffee lot up to the final warehouse. So, we decided to figure out the best approach to use and how we could share this information easily.
Now, any roaster using the Algrano’s marketplace can see the carbon footprint of the lot they want to buy at checkout. You can use this info to get a full picture of your roastery’s total emissions or just start to see where you stand. Trust us—the coffee you choose is much more impactful than the roasting machine you use. Oh, and if you want to offset those emissions, we can help with that too.
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A birds-eye view of carbon in coffee
As a general rule, 1 kg of coffee emits about 11 kg of CO2 equivalents (CO2e*) from origin to roastery (a 1:11 ratio). While data on transportation emissions is well-documented and granular, data on coffee production is scarcer. So, any number we provide is an estimate. But estimates are better than nothing, and they come from vetted, reputable sources that continuously update their figures.
There are many ways to reduce carbon emissions in coffee, from packaging to roasting equipment, but the biggest impact happens at origin. Coffee production alone accounts for about two-thirds of total emissions.
Emission at origin come mainly from fertilisers, pesticides, and equipment used in coffee production. We don't mean to pin carbon emissions on the backs of coffee farmers, only to explain what's involved in a model of agriculture developed to suit modern levels of demand. We're all in this together.
One of the most effective ways to reduce your footprint is by switching to organic. This alone can cut Scope 3 emissions by up to 75%, and it sends a signal to producers that transitioning to organic can be worth the investment.
What CO2 emissions data is available?
We’ve seen roasters tackle CO2 challenges head-on for specific coffees (like Kaffeemacher and Clever Coffee). But calculations can vary widely across the industry. It’s easy to get lost in the data—some of it is outdated, and the sheer volume of studies can be hard to follow.
For example:
- The International Coffee Organization (ICO) estimates that 1 kg of green coffee emits around 11 kg of CO2e, including processes like growing, milling, post-harvest processing, and transportation. They use a widely circulated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study.
- World Coffee Research offers a broader range, estimating emissions between 3.51 kg and 15.33 kg CO2e per kg of green coffee.
- University College London pegs it at 9.5–15 kg CO2e per kg of coffee.
- Carbon Trust reports figures of 9–10 kg CO2e per kg of coffee.
- Nestlé/Nespresso came up with a number of 7 kg CO2e per kg of coffee.
From all we have looked into, a conservative estimate of the emissions for conventionally produced coffee is about 1:11. For comparison:
- Beef: 27 kg CO2e per kg
- Cheese: 13.5 kg CO2e per kg
- Sugar: 0.55 kg CO2e per kg
Breaking it down: from aggregate to bag
About a year ago, we decided to tackle Scope 3 CO2 emissions for roasters at scale—for every bag of coffee that runs through Algrano. We’re in a unique position to do this because we have a “digital twin” of each supply chain. This allows us to calculate emissions for thousands of contracts within seconds.
Starting today, Algrano shows you customised CO2 estimates for every coffee lot at checkout. You can also find data for every order placed on the platform, dating back to 2019.
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Here are the questions we need to answer to calculate emissions:
- What coffee are you sourcing, and from which country?
- Is it organically certified or not?
- What’s the geolocation of the farm, and how far is it from the port of shipment?
- How far is the coffee transported from the warehouse to your roastery?
We then send this data to our partner SQUAKE, who matches these data points to emission factors for each leg of the supply chain. At first, we thought we could figure this out ourselves—but trust us, you’ll quickly change your mind once you start diving into audited methodologies, databases, and maintenance updates.
SQUAKE’s emission factors come from expert organisations like the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and the ICCT (International Council on Clean Transportation). These organisations constantly update their research, helping ensure that the estimates are accurate and reliable across different sectors like transportation, energy, and agriculture.
Based on our inputs, SQUAKE calculates the CO2e for each contract. You’ll see this estimate at checkout when contracting a coffee, in the orders tab of your dashboard, and on the details page of each contract.
What it looks like in practice
Let’s look at a container of Brazilian organic coffee shipped to the United Kingdom.
The total footprint is 77.95 tons of CO2e for 19.2 tons of coffee (one container), giving a ratio of about 1:4. Now, compare that to the footprint for conventional coffee, which jumps to 293 tons of CO2e (a 1:15 ratio).
This difference comes entirely from the production stage; no other parts of the supply chain have been changed. Even for organic coffee, 83% of emissions come from production.
While transportation efficiency matters—e-trucks vs. conventional trucks, for example—these changes only impact the remaining 17% of emissions.
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So, what now?
Let’s be clear: we’re not conducting studies or measurements on individual farms. We’re using verified global data sources, so these numbers are estimates. But estimates are still better than guesswork, and they spark the conversations we need to have.
The key takeaway? Scope 3 emissions outweigh Scope 1 and 2 emissions by a wide margin. If the coffee community wants to really reduce their carbon footprint, we need to focus on emissions at origin.
Yes, you can offset these emissions. Offsetting has its critics, but there are many projects to choose from. If you want to go beyond just offsetting, the “easiest” solution by far is sourcing organic coffee. Not only does it cut your carbon footprint, but it also provides an incentive for producers to transition more of their production to organic.
Algrano works with a wide range of organic producers, offering both certified and non-certified coffee (see here). We also provide vetted offsetting projects and can issue certificates for any lot you source.
Check out our FAQ in the help centre to learn more. And if you have any other questions or feedback, reach out to us. We’re happy to be challenged and dive deeper—calculations are just the beginning of the conversation.
*CO2 equivalents (CO2e) is the metric used to compare the global warming potential of different greenhouse gases.
** Featured photo by Majestic Coffees, Colombia.
