European Coffee Federation unveils Shadow PEFCR to measure environmental impact of a cup of coffee
The new framework sets a unified methodology to assess and report coffee’s environmental footprint across its entire supply chain.
EU – The European Coffee Federation (ECF) has announced the completion of the Shadow Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR), calling it a “significant step” toward accurately measuring the environmental footprint of a cup of black coffee.
Aligned with wider European Union initiatives and recognised international frameworks, the Shadow PEFCR introduces a sector-wide approach for product-level environmental assessments and supports corporate reporting across the coffee industry.
According to the ECF, the framework establishes a consistent, science-based methodology for measuring and disclosing environmental impacts, helping the sector strengthen climate resilience and streamline data collection for transparent reporting.
Coffee’s environmental footprint spans multiple stages — cultivation, post-harvest processing, transportation, packaging, brewing and end-of-life — yet the absence of a unified methodology has previously limited efforts to measure and reduce its impact.
The Shadow PEFCR was developed with support from agri-food sustainability consultants Mérieux NutriSciences | Blonk and contributions from ECF member companies across the value chain, including traders and roasters. The Federation’s working group, established in 2023, guided the process.
The resulting document outlines a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to quantify environmental impacts at each stage of the coffee journey.
The guidelines provide a common standard for businesses and stakeholders to meet emerging EU compliance requirements while supporting efforts to improve sustainability practices.
The ECF says this unified framework will enhance transparency, comparability and accountability within the coffee sector, enabling more effective environmental management across the supply chain.
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