For many of us, coffee is much more than just a beverage—it's a ritual, a moment of indulgence, and sometimes even a quiet way to start the day. But behind every cup lies a global value chain that travels through many stages, from the coffee field to the roastery. This involves not only kilometers of transport, but also significant consumption of water, energy, and packaging materials.
At a time when climate change, resource scarcity, and environmental pollution are becoming increasingly prevalent, the topic of sustainability is gaining increasing importance in the coffee industry. For us at Kaffanero, sustainability is not just a buzzword, but a central component of our daily operations – from purchasing the raw beans to delivery to our customers.
In this article, you'll learn why sustainable practices in coffee processing are so important, what concrete measures we are implementing, and how we plan to make our processes even more environmentally friendly in the future.
Why is sustainability so important?
Coffee is a natural product – and its quality depends directly on intact ecosystems, fertile soils, and a stable climate. But these very foundations are under pressure in many growing regions. Sustainability is therefore not just a moral obligation, but a prerequisite for our continued enjoyment of high-quality coffee in the future.
Coffee production encompasses a long value chain with several resource-intensive stages:
Cultivation
Coffee cultivation is very water-intensive in many regions, especially in conventional monocultures. Groundwater or river water is often used for irrigation, which can put pressure on entire regions during dry periods. In addition, monocultures reduce biodiversity, deplete soils, and require the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides, which in turn pollute groundwater.
More sustainable approaches such as shade farming or agroforestry systems not only create habitats for animals and insects, but also keep the soil fertile for longer and reduce water requirements.
Processing
After harvesting, the coffee cherries must be cleaned of their pulp. Depending on the process, traditional washing can consume up to 150 liters of water per kilogram of green coffee. If this water is returned unfiltered to rivers, it can lead to severe pollution and oxygen depletion in waterways.
Alternative methods such as dry (natural) processing or the honey method require significantly less water and produce less wastewater – they are therefore a more ecological option if the climatic conditions are suitable.
transport
The journey from the origin to the roastery often covers thousands of kilometers. Green coffee is usually transported by container ship—a relatively CO₂-efficient, but still energy-intensive method. In addition, there are often multiple transport stages within the country of origin: from the farmer to the processing station, from there to the port, and, upon arrival in the destination country, from the port to the roastery. Each individual route impacts the carbon footprint.
Significant savings can be achieved through better planning and bundling of transports.
Roasting process
During roasting, the coffee is heated to approximately 180–230°C – an energy-intensive process. CO₂ emissions can vary greatly depending on the technology. Older roasting systems without heat recovery waste a lot of energy, while modern machines recycle the hot exhaust air, thus significantly reducing energy consumption.
Packaging
Conventional coffee packaging often consists of a mix of plastic and aluminum, which is virtually impossible to recycle. Since every bean sold must be packaged, the amount of packaging accumulates enormously. Sustainable alternatives such as compostable films, paper packaging with a barrier layer, or reusable systems can significantly reduce this ecological footprint.
How do we ensure sustainability
Transport in larger quantities
We consolidate our green coffee purchases to have larger quantities transported at once. This reduces the number of shipments and significantly reduces CO₂ emissions per kilogram of coffee.
Sustainable packaging solutions
Our coffee packaging is made from biodegradable materials without a plastic coating. For our B2B customers, we also offer refillable buckets that can be used multiple times, thus eliminating packaging material almost entirely.
Energy-optimized roasting oven
Our modern roasting oven uses a closed hot-air system that reuses pre-heated air. This reduces energy consumption, improves roasting quality, and lowers CO₂ emissions.
What can be further optimized?
Sustainability isn't a state of being, but a continuous process. Our next big step: a 100% electric roasting oven powered by solar power from our own rooftop system. This would allow us to run our roasting entirely on renewable energy and further reduce our CO₂ emissions.
In addition, we continually evaluate new technologies, sustainable packaging concepts, and more efficient logistics solutions. Our goal is to make the entire process—from purchasing to shipping—as environmentally friendly as possible.
How you can drink sustainable coffee at home
Sustainability doesn't stop with producers and roasters – even as a coffee drinker, you have numerous options to reduce your ecological footprint without sacrificing enjoyment.
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Choose your coffee consciously
Pay attention to origin, cultivation, and processing methods. Certifications like organic, Fairtrade, or Rainforest Alliance provide guidance, but even small specialty roasters without a certification can operate sustainably—especially if they report transparently about their supply chains. -
Buy in appropriate quantities
Freshly roasted coffee tastes best within a few weeks. Therefore, buy smaller quantities regularly to avoid coffee going stale and, in the worst case, being thrown away. -
Reduce packaging waste
If possible, take advantage of your roaster's refill options or choose larger containers for multi-person households. Reusable coffee cans or storage containers keep beans fresher longer and reduce disposable packaging. -
Choose energy-efficient cooking methods
Hand filters, French presses, or AeroPresses often use less energy than large, constantly preheated machines. If you use a portafilter or fully automatic machine, only turn it on when you actually want to make coffee. -
Reuse coffee grounds
Instead of throwing them away, you can use coffee grounds as plant fertilizer, odor neutralizer, or scrub. This closes the loop and avoids unnecessary waste. -
Avoid disposable products
Paper cups, coffee capsules, and disposable filters pollute the environment. Reusable thermos cups, stainless steel filters, and reusable coffee pods are long-lasting alternatives that quickly pay for themselves.
Even small changes in everyday life add up – and if every coffee drinker consciously makes a small change, the overall effect will be significant on the environmental footprint of the entire industry.
Conclusion – Sustainability as a fundamental attitude, not as marketing
Sustainability in coffee roasting doesn't just begin in the roastery—it runs like a thread through the entire value chain. Every step, from the coffee plant to the cup, offers opportunities to conserve resources and reduce emissions. This begins with water conservation during cultivation, continues with energy-efficient and water-saving processing methods, leads to better planned and consolidated transport, continues with resource-efficient roasting, and culminates in environmentally friendly packaging that generates as little waste as possible.
At Kaffanero, we don't see sustainability as a short-term trend or a fancy marketing label. For us, it's a lasting commitment – a principle we live by in our daily decisions. We're aware that the coffee industry has historically consumed a lot of resources and sometimes leaves a huge ecological footprint. That's precisely why we see it as our duty to actively counteract this and design processes so that their impact on the environment is as minimal as possible.
Our measures – from the use of sustainable packaging materials to the energy-optimized roasting oven to the refill system for our B2B customers – are important steps in the right direction. But we also know that there is no end point. Sustainability is an ongoing process that requires constant review, innovation, and investment.
We regularly review our working methods, test new technologies, and seek dialogue with producers, logistics partners, and customers to jointly find better solutions. Our goal is not only to roast excellent coffee, but also to make a positive contribution to our environment and future generations.
Because good coffee shouldn’t just taste good today – it should still be possible tomorrow.
