Greenopia Rating

Coffee

Many of us can't get started in the morning without a cup of coffee. This can be a little daunting for the concerned environmentalist since coffee is one of the most ecologically degrading crops to grow. Since it can only be grown in tropical regions, oftentimes rainforests are clear cut to make room for the coffee and the pesticides that are used can end up in waterways. Coffee also is of social concern because of violations regarding fair payment and child labor.
In order to help our users find the greenest coffees on the market, we applied several criteria to some of the biggest coffee brands to determine which are the greenest ones available. Weights were set based off life cycles we obtained analyzing coffee production and the impacts associated with it.

Our leaf awards are based on the following:
at least 25% meet the above criteria.
at least 50% meet the above criteria.
at least 75% meet the above criteria.
at least 90% meet the above criteria.

Green Coffee
We checked to see if the brand had organic coffees and what percentage of their offerings was organic, shade-grown, or bird friendly.

Ethically Sourced
We looked for certifications that the coffee growers received including fair and direct trade and/or rainforest alliance certified which indicate that the growers receive a fair wage and that the coffee was raised in a responsible way.

Naturally Decaffeinated
There are several processes that can remove the caffeine from coffee. We support the decaffeination methods that use natural processes (i.e. water) rather than the traditional ones that need chemicals including benzene or methylene chloride.

Efficient Production
We checked to see if there were any efficient production technologies the companies used during harvest and/or manufacturing. This can include special machinery or processes that have been designed to minimize their impact on the environment.

Efficient Transportation
Since coffees have to be transported thousands of miles we checked to see if any coffee growers used hybrids or other vehicles that minimize the transportation burden of the coffee. Some credit was given if the coffee's packaging had been redesigned to transport more efficiently.

Eco-friendly Packaging
The packaging of the coffee can have a tremendous impact depending on what material it is made from. Thus we gave points for better packaging materials (for example biopolymers or ones that were lighter and made with less/better material).

Sustainability Reporting
As with all of our guides, we feel that environmental transparency is the best policy. Thus we looked for sustainability reports, or at a minimum, environmental metrics pertaining to the production of the coffee.