From deforestation to forest guardians: Cajamarca charts Peru’s path to carbon-neutral coffee production

Faced with growing demand from international markets that will soon require carbon-neutral coffee, the northern region of Peru is leading initiatives to produce coffee with a reduced environmental footprint. These efforts focus on growing coffee in agroforestry systems, conserving biodiversity and preserving forests.

From decimated forests to thriving farms

Coffee farmer Luis Villegas García (45) never got to know the native trees that abounded in the lower and middle part of the province of San Ignacio, in the Cajamarca region, where he was born more than four decades ago.

"When I was a child, my grandfather used to tell me about the forest, with its michinos and acerillos, two species native to the area. But by the time I grew up, there were few specimens left. All of it was cut down for agriculture - indiscriminate logging that led to the disappearance of deer, añujes, peccaries and birds, deprived of their habitat," recalls Luis.

In the late 1990s, forest trees such as laurels, pines and eucalyptus began to be planted in the area for a variety of uses, from house construction to firewood. "Planting trees was our way of ensuring a continuous supply of timber," says Luis, who now sees the same trees protecting the coffee plantations on his farm.

"Coffee should be grown in agroforestry systems. This makes sure that I can contribute to the environment and reduce my carbon footprint, because on my farm we capture CO₂ thanks to the presence of trees," explains the coffee farmer.

His vision and commitment to the activity have been enriched by initiatives led by Rikolto and supported in the last three years by the Provincial Government of Flemish Brabant, the Flemish Government's G-STIC Climate Action Programme and the US-Dutch company JDE Peet's. Learn how alliances generate greater income opportunities for producers in this article.

A global push for carbon-neutral coffee

Global trends towards sustainable coffee, zero deforestation and intelligent agroforestry systems not only protect forests but also reduce the carbon footprint associated with coffee production. Armando Inga, facilitator of the Cajamarca Coffee Multi-Stakeholder Platform (PMACC), points out: "With the effects of climate change and the increase of CO₂ in the atmosphere, there are opportunities for Cajamarca's coffee. The foreign market appreciates coffees that are responsible and that limit or reduce CO₂ emissions, which is why initiatives to make Cajamarca coffee carbon-neutral have emerged recently."

Over the last three years, Rikolto has been involved in some of these initiatives, such as measuring the environmental footprint of coffee, which is considered the starting point for understanding the impact that these industries have on the environment. Data availability makes it easier to make decisions and to implement the necessary adjustments in agricultural practices to make the industry carbon-neutral. This was acknowledged by the project Coffee & Climate, supported by the Provincial Government of Flemish Brabant from 2021 to 2022.

Producer Luis Villegas was part of the initial efforts to measure the environmental footprint of coffee. "Between August 2021 and September 2022, as a partner of the Unicafec cooperative, we were sent technicians who gathered information about our farms to measure our environmental footprint and determine where our work generated the most pollution," recalls Luis.

Luis Villegas, coffee farmer who has integrated tree conservation and organic fertiliser production on his farm to reduce his carbon footprint.

This required a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of coffee on the farm, which entailed a study of the agronomic management of coffee. This means understanding how the crop is fertilised and irrigated, how pruning and pests are managed and what natural resources are consumed. "We study the emissions, solid waste and effluents that have been produced by the time the beans are harvested," explains Isabel Quispe, an industrial engineer, researcher and professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP) who led the research on measuring the carbon footprint. In this case, the production of organic green coffee was considered, as there were no emissions relating to agrochemicals.

Further results were disseminated through exchanges and workshops thanks to the More Coffee and Less CO2 (COCO2) project, funded by the Flemish Government's G-STIC Climate Action Programme from 2022 to 2023. It was found that the critical points with the highest environmental impact in coffee production are concentrated in the so-called wet mill, where pulping takes place. This is mainly due to water consumption and the production of coffee pulp. The latter is a form of organic waste that emits methane, a greenhouse gas, and CO2 when it decomposes. It is estimated that 70-80% of the carbon footprint of coffee is generated in the wet mill.

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