Quantification Research Of Carbon-water Footprint Of LCA-based Coffee Producti

Attention to environmental issues has grown in the past few years.,especially greenhouse gas emissions and water scarcity.Agricultural production is one of the important sources of greenhouse gas emissions and also consumes a large amount of water resources.With economic development and technological progress,the consumption of agricultural materials such as diesel,fertilizers and pesticides in the production of agricultural products has increased significantly,causing a series of problems such as greenhouse gas emissions,water pollution and water waste.Therefore,it is important to quantify greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption and water pollution characteristics in the production of agricultural crops and to develop strategies to reduce environmental pressure in order to achieve water conservation and emission reduction and develop green agriculture.In order to measure the greenhouse gas emissions and water usage in the agricultural production of coffee products,two indicators are commonly used:carbon footprint and water footprint.Yunnan province,situated in China,is the leading producer of coffee and accounts for over 98%of the country’s coffee production.Hence,the focus of this study is on Yunnan province and the coffee products it produces.Based on the life cycle theory to account for the carbon footprint and water footprint of coffee production process in Yunnan Province,and analyze the influencing factors of carbon footprint and water footprint of coffee production process in Yunnan Province,and also clarify the possibility of mitigating the carbon footprint and water footprint,and put forward suggestions to achieve the goal of water conservation and emission reduction in coffee production process,so as to provide practical references for better promoting the low-carbon and green development of coffee industry in Yunnan Province.Key findings of this study:（1）The overall total carbon footprint of coffee in Yunnan Province from 2012 to 2021shows an increasing trend,with an average annual total carbon footprint of 476.97 kt CO₂-eq.In the composition of the total carbon footprint,the top source of carbon footprint comes from the production and use of chemical fertilizers,accounting for 68%,followed by the carbon footprint from electricity inputs,accounting for about 9.5%of the total carbon footprint.2021 coffee production in Yunnan Province The unit carbon footprint of the coffee production process in Yunnan Province in 2021 is 3.59 kg CO₂eq/kg,and among the four stages of planting,processing,roasting and grinding,and transportation,the carbon footprint level is the highest in the planting stage at 2.94 kg CO₂eq/kg and the lowest in the transportation stage at 0.09 kg CO₂eq/kg.In terms of spatial distribution,among the four regions of Lincang,Baoshan,Pu’er and Dehong,the unit carbon footprint was ranked as Lincang（3.80 kg CO₂eq/kg）>Baoshan（3.67 kg CO₂eq/kg）>Pu’er（3.56 kg CO₂eq/kg）>Dehong（3.33 kg CO₂eq/kg）.（2）The average annual total water footprint of coffee products in Yunnan Province region from 2012 to 2021 is 719.50×10⁶m³,with an overall increasing trend.In the composition of the total water footprint,the green water footprint accounts for the largest share,accounting for about 69.8%,followed by the blue water footprint,accounting for 15.9%;the gray water footprint accounts for the least share,14.3%.The average water footprint consumed during coffee production in Yunnan Province is 5.444 m³/kg,of which the green water footprint is the highest at 3.715 m³/kg,followed by the blue water footprint at 1.062 m³/kg and the gray water footprint at 0.667 m3/kg.In terms of spatial distribution,among the four regions of Lincang,Baoshan,Pu’er and Dehong,the ranking of coffee water footprint is Baoshan（6.073 m³/kg）>Dehong（5.346 m³/kg）>Pu’er（5.282 m³/kg）>Lincang（5.076 m³/kg）.（3）Among the meteorological factors,rainfall and relative humidity were the main factors affecting the carbon and water footprints of coffee products,with rainfall having a negative effect on both the carbon and water footprints,while relative humidity had positive and negative effects on the carbon and water footprints,respectively.Fertilizer application and mechanical diesel use are the agricultural production input factors that have a greater impact on the carbon and water footprints of coffee.Both had a negative effect on the carbon footprint of coffee products,while both had a positive effect on the water footprint.（4）In the coffee production process,it is important to ensure economic benefits while taking into account environmental protection and reduce the water and carbon footprints of the production process.The carbon emission and gray water footprint caused by the application of chemical fertilizers can be slowed down by mentioning the reasonable use of chemical fertilizers and improving the utilization rate of chemical fertilizers;the implementation of waterless processing technology for coffee fresh fruits can not only improve the quality of coffee beans,but also reduce pollutants,thus reducing the carbon and water footprint of coffee;the implementation of the company+farmer management model to improve the technical level of farmers’coffee planting,achieve reasonable coffee planting management,improve coffee production and promote the sustainable development of coffee industry...