be a part of the solution

COFFEE IS BOTH PROBLEM & SOLUTION

Over the years of fieldwork trying to find whether coffee is sustainable, our founder, Praveen Ponraj, discovered that coffee is a superpower which can either create a climate crisis or solve it. He listed all social and environmental injustices currently happening in the Global Coffee Value Chain and strategized solutions for each one of them. We call those solutions as Climate Wave Coffee Solutions, an effective climate action framework to solve climate crisis by harnessing the superpower of coffee.

24

Solutions

Covering all value adding links of global coffee value chain and the list is growing with more social and environmental injustices are being identified and solved.

1.1

CLIMATE WAVE COFFEE SOLUTION ID

Grow coffee plants under the shade of trees

TARGETED PROBLEM

Deforestation

TARGETED AREA IN GLOBAL COFFEE VALUE CHAIN

be a part of the solution

COFFEE IS BOTH PROBLEM & SOLUTION

24

Solutions

Grow coffee plants under the shade of trees

Deforestation

Grow coffee plants along with diverse native shrubs, plants, and trees

Monocropping and soil erosion

Grow coffee plants in a biodiversity-rich forest environment that provides food and shelter to wild animals and birds

Extinction of animals, birds, and overall biodiversity

Choose natural farming techniques to grow coffee plants

Usage of toxic fertilizers, pesticides, and weedicides

Pay coffee fruit pickers fairly and treat them with respect

Unfair treatment of coffee fruit pickers

Deploy dedicated teams or indigenous or modern techniques to track wildlife ethically and inform coffee pickers

Human wildlife conflict

Choose coffee processing techniques that preserve water

Pollution of rivers and creeks by effluents and green waste

Choose coffee processing techniques that conserve water

Intensive water consumption to process coffee

Ensure the green waste of coffee production does not enter freshwater streams

Limiting freshwater access to indigenous communities due to pollution

Transport green coffee beans in reusable and recyclable containers

Single-use plastic pollution

Pay coffee producers fairly and treat them with respect

Unfair treatment of coffee farmers

Use refrigerants with the lowest GHG emission potential currently available in the market

Use of refrigerant

Store green coffee beans in reusable and recyclable containers

Single-use plastic pollution

Use energy-efficient roasting machines powered by renewable energy

Extensive use of fossil fuel

Use multi-use plastic-free roasted coffee packaging

Single-use plastic pollution

Use reusable coffee filters or 100% tree-free filters

Deforestation due to paper filters

Pay living wage and beyond for hospitality and food service members of the coffee value chain and treat them with respect and inclusion

Social injustice in hospitality side of coffee value chain

Use toxins-free cleaning solution for coffee equipment maintenance

Water pollution due to machine maintenance

Use the right tools to eliminate coffee & milk waste

Poor choice of tools and techniques that lead to food waste

Train and educate baristas to eliminate coffee & milk waste

Work culture not prioritizing reduction of food waste

Use low-carbon-footprint milk specific to the geography of operation as default

GHG emission due to non-coffee ingredients dominantly used in the coffee industry

Discourage disposables culture and offer incentives to dine-in and BYOM culture

Pollution due to disposable cups

Compost spent ground or create new compostable products with spent coffee grounds

GHG emission due to mismanagement of spent coffee grounds

Help relieve fear and convey the message that individuals already have the superpower to contribute to solving the climate crisis

GHG emissions due to paralysis and inaction due to severe climate-anxiety

THE AUTHOR'S NOTE

INTEGRATED PROGRAMS

CLIMATE-POSITIVE CAFE COLLECTIVE

TIP COFFEE FARMER

SUSTAINABLE COFFEE PASSPORT

COFFEE PEOPLE CONNECT

Coffee People Connect is a series of interactive coffee events focused on climate action, hosted by various coffee professionals in British Columbia. The events aim to share knowledge about the art of sustainable coffee-making, inspire climate action, and foster connections among coffee people.

STAY CONNECTED