Summary
This review synthesises biotechnological and circular economy approaches to address sustainability challenges in global coffee production, spanning climate resilience, disease management, and resource efficiency. A meta-analysis of 18 cultivars identified intermediate shade cover (LAI ≈ 1, 10–40%) as optimal for balancing microclimate regulation, fruit production, and smallholder income. The authors quantify that cultivation accounts for 70–75% of coffee's carbon footprint and demonstrate that net energy ratio can be improved from 0.82 to 2.2 through integrated sustainable practices including organic fertilisers, solar drying, and waste valorisation within circular bioeconomy frameworks.
Regional applicability
This global review does not address United Kingdom-specific coffee production, as the UK climate does not support commercial coffee cultivation. However, the findings are relevant to UK coffee importers, retailers, and consumers seeking to understand sustainability credentials of sourced coffee, and may inform UK agricultural policy on biotechnology regulation and circular economy principles applicable to other crops.
Key measures
Leaf Area Index (LAI) for shade cover; microclimate buffering (°C); nitrogen use efficiency pathways; water use efficiency mechanisms; phosphorus use efficiency; carbon footprint distribution (%); energy reduction in solar drying (%); Net Energy Ratio (NER); freshwater ecotoxicity impact categories (%)
Outcomes reported
The review synthesises biotechnological approaches to improve coffee production sustainability, examining climate-resilient varieties, disease management, resource use efficiency, and post-harvest valorisation strategies. It quantifies environmental impacts across the coffee value chain and demonstrates potential improvements in net energy ratio through sustainable practices.
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