How Green is Your Coffee? - Dec. 04, 2013

A Green Coffee Carbon Footprint Product Category Rule has been published to help the industry calculate greenhouse gas emissions from coffee production. - Dec. 04, 2013

The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform’s Coffee Working Group, in collaboration with the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), developed the Green Coffee CFP-PCR. The Project Steering Group providing the leadership in the CFP-PCR’s development includes: illycaffé, Nestle, Tchibo, Mondelez, D.E Master Blenders 1753 and Lavazza, supported by sector standard-setting bodies 4C, Fairtrade International, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ Certified.

The group says the new carbon footprint rule will drive consistency in the application of GHG emissions calculations by reducing differences between individual studies and products, and harmonizing methodological approaches. It says this will support the identification and adoption of mitigation strategies.

Wild Arabica coffee could be extinct in 70 years due to rising temperatures as a result of climate change, according to research published last year by Britain’s Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and scientists in Ethiopia.

Late last month the SAI Platform, whose members include McDonald’s Europe and Unilever, launched its Principles for Sustainable Beef Farming, intended to help the beef industry produce beef sustainably.

Source: http://www.environmentalleader.com/

Dec. 04, 2013