United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – Nearly 10% of Costa Rica’s greenhouse gas emissions stem from coffee production, an industry integral to Costa Rica’s national identity and economy. Café Costa Rica is a nationally appropriate mitigation action (NAMA) that takes a giant step towards Costa Rica’s ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2021 while also strengthening a vital industry.

Applying improved fertilization methods, replacing firewood with energy generated from production waste, and increasing tree cover to prepare for a changing climate are some of the techniques used to produce low-carbon coffee. These new production methods will not only lower greenhouse gas emissions they will also provide economic stability for nearly 60,000 coffee producers, and further improve the standards of living for almost half a million Costa Ricans.

Initially, the NAMA will roll out to a handful of large coffee operations, and that experience will be then be used to extend it to all of Costa Rica’s coffee plantations and mills. Full-scale nationwide implementation is expected to take 10 years and cost $30,000,000 US dollars, and would benefit greatly from further international support.

Improving Livelihoods and Standards of Living

Building an environmentally and economically sustainable coffee industry will help the farmers with cost savings, higher coffee yields, and competitiveness in low-carbon markets. The labor-intensive coffee harvest employs an estimated 150,000 workers whose families will continue to benefit from the proceeds of a healthy coffee market.

Policy changes proposed in the NAMA further support adoption of the new production techniques and pave the way for a certified carbon neutral coffee trademark that would ensure Costa Rica a prominent place in international carbon-neutral markets.

How does coffee production generate emissions and how will the NAMA lower them?

Coffee production emits the three most prevalent greenhouse gases: Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Methane (CH4), and Carbon Dioxide (CO2).

1. Nitrous Oxide Emissions (N2O): Synthetic fertilizers deliver essential nitrogen to the soil, but they also stimulate a reaction that emits nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere. N2O accounts for 5% of global greenhouse gases and can have a global warming potential almost 300 times that of CO2 over 100 years.

Solutions: Teach and incentivize growers to use new fertilization methods that improve efficiency, thereby lowering the amount of fertilizers required.

Intersperse trees that are nitrogen fixers among the coffee trees. Nitrogen fixers have special properties that naturally turn atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogen fertilizers to benefit surrounding trees. The process fertilizes the coffee trees naturally, minimizes the use of synthetic fertilizers, and helps conserve the soil.

2. Methane (CH4): After coffee berries are picked, water is used to separate the skin and pulp from the bean. The process results in wastewater and discarded pulp that emit CH4 (methane).

Solutions: Treat the wastewater so that it can be recycled and reused for further coffee processing.

Convert the biomass (discarded pulp) into usable energy.

3. Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Many coffee mills dry the beans using processes that require electricity or firewood. Conventional methods of generating electricity, such as burning coal and firewood, emit CO2. In addition, cutting down trees for firewood lowers natural CO2 absorption from the atmosphere.

Solution: Utilize the energy generated from biomass gasification of the discarded pulp.

4. Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Inefficient use of land resources impacts the natural removal of GHGs from the atmosphere.

Solution: Use agroforestry methods to add trees to the coffee plantations to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, shade the coffee plants, and improve the soil.

International Cooperative Support for Climate Actions

The government of Costa Rica, in partnership with the scientific community, The NAMA Facility, The Inter-American Development Bank, GIZ, The Coffee Institute of Costa Rica (ICAFE), and Fundecooperación is pioneering the efforts. A combination of economic incentives, education, knowledge sharing, and monitoring of results will be incorporated throughout the project to ensure its success and ultimate impact.

This NAMA is registered with the UNFCCC NAMA Registry to attract potential support for its implementation and also to share its ideas and techniques with other coffee-producing countries. The Costa Rican Coffee NAMA represents a registry match with the Inter-American Development Bank due to financial support provided by the bank for the NAMA’s preparation.