Coffee's Hidden Opportunity
Coffee is one of the world’s most traded commodities — and one of its most wasteful.
Every year, over 60 million metrics tons (130 billion pounds) of coffee cherry pulp waste are discarded, polluting waterways and releasing methane into the atmosphere.
Most farmers aren’t able to upcycle this rich resource, missing the chance to boost their incomes and create a positive environmental impact.
What if that waste could become a climate solution — improving soil health, supporting farmer livelihoods, and capturing carbon?
By turning coffee waste into biochar, the coffee industry can lead the way toward net-zero carbon emissions, protect natural ecosystems, and open up new income opportunities for coffee producers through carbon removal credits.
Biochar
The solution is biochar, a pure, stable carbon created by heating organic matter (like coffee pulp) at very high temperatures (600 °C) in a low-oxygen environment. This isn't a new invention; indigenous Amazonian communities have used it for hundreds of years to create ultra-fertile "Terra Preta" soils.
It resembles granulated charcoal, but it’s used to store carbon and enhance soil health. When added to soil, biochar enhances fertility, retains water, and sequesters carbon, making it a tool for both mitigating climate change and promoting regenerative agriculture.
Today, farmers are using a range of machines, from artisanal to very modern technological pyrolyzers, to perfect this process.
About David
I spent years as a green coffee importer, focused on sourcing the world’s best organic and sustainable coffees. My work involved supplying coffee roasters with green coffee beans—the seeds inside the coffee cherry. I hardly thought about the coffee pulp around the seed that the farmers discarded.
I discovered that approximately 90% of the biomass from coffee berries is seen as a waste product by the producers. I've also learned that with the right technology, this waste could be converted into wealth for farmers.
While searching for ways to utilize all of the coffee berry, I’ve discovered innovative biochar solutions that turn coffee waste into a powerful resource for fighting climate change and building regenerative soils.
By working together as an industry—coffee producers, consumer brands, and stakeholder partners across their value chain—we can create new business partnerships that reduce our carbon footprint, increase our coffee yields, and help farmers earn more money.
I hope you will join us on this journey to make coffee a net positive industry!
