Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. In 2019/2020 almost 170 million bags (of 60 kg) of coffee were produced, mainly exported to Europe and the United States of America. Every year billions of cups of coffee are consumed in these countries, without considering that in the different phases of the life cycle of this drink there can be different environmental impacts. Moreover, the scientific literature provides little information on carbon dioxide emissions in the coffee sector, especially in Italy. In this context, the present study intends to present a first evaluation of the Carbon Footprint of a cup of espresso coffee in a bar. The results show a value of 21.23 gCO2eq. In particular, the grinding of the mixture is the least impacting phase (0.20 CO2eq), while the coffee extraction on device is the one that affects the most (9.86 CO2eq). It is believed that this assessment, in addition to producing benefits from the environmental point of view, entails economic advantages in terms of containing costs for a commercial activity and that the information deriving from this study can contribute to the production and consumption of increasingly sustainable beverages.
Alimentazione e sostenibilità: la Carbon Footprint di una tazzina di caffè
Roberto Leonardo Rana;Caterina Tricase
2020-01-01
Abstract
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. In 2019/2020 almost 170 million bags (of 60 kg) of coffee were produced, mainly exported to Europe and the United States of America. Every year billions of cups of coffee are consumed in these countries, without considering that in the different phases of the life cycle of this drink there can be different environmental impacts. Moreover, the scientific literature provides little information on carbon dioxide emissions in the coffee sector, especially in Italy. In this context, the present study intends to present a first evaluation of the Carbon Footprint of a cup of espresso coffee in a bar. The results show a value of 21.23 gCO2eq. In particular, the grinding of the mixture is the least impacting phase (0.20 CO2eq), while the coffee extraction on device is the one that affects the most (9.86 CO2eq). It is believed that this assessment, in addition to producing benefits from the environmental point of view, entails economic advantages in terms of containing costs for a commercial activity and that the information deriving from this study can contribute to the production and consumption of increasingly sustainable beverages.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
