Environmental issues and management in primary coffee processing

Abstract

The paper examines the broader environmental issues and environmental management aspects of primary coffee processing in general and more specifically how it is addressed in India. Primary processing, the production of green beans from the coffee fruits, is practised to bring out more flavour. Coffee is an important global commodity, yet seen from a systemic view the producers and consumers of such an important commercial commodity are far apart. Primary coffee processing, with all its attendant environment impact, takes place at the producer end. The consumers in general are unaware of these impacts. The various methods of processing, the processing steps and the waste discharge associated with them are reviewed. A review of pollution and associated management methods is presented. An anaerobic bioreactor design developed and tested in a few Indian coffee plantations as a simple solution is also described.