Reforestation and Mitigating our Carbon Footprint
Reforestation and Mitigating our Carbon Footprint
We founded Tiny Footprint Coffee in 2010 as the world’s first carbon-negative coffee company, neatly encapsulated by our slogan, “You drink coffee. We plant trees.” The founding premise is that in addition to sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the trees would help restore degraded ecosystems protecting habitat for birds and other flora and fauna in the tropics. This approach generates co-benefits like job creation and economic opportunity in harmony with diverse and fragile ecosystems, first in partnership with an Ecuadorian nonprofit and now with coffee farmers in Honduras, aligning perfectly with our mission towards environmental stewardship through coffees that taste great and do good for the planet.
As Tiny Footprint, we are committed to sustainability and environmental conservation, working day in and day out to deliver high-quality, sustainably-grown organic and fair trade coffee while actively fighting climate change. For every pound of coffee sold, we donate to reforestation projects to remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than is emitted during our coffee’s production, roasting, packaging, and distribution.
Our commitment to being carbon-negative means going beyond simply offsetting our emissions. While we measure our carbon footprint and invest in regenerative reforestation projects, we also work at reducing the impact of our operations by using high-efficiency roasting processes, enrolling in our electric utility’s renewable (solar and wind) energy program, minimizing travel, not owning any vehicles, and working towards more eco-friendly packaging (this is hard).
Analyzing our Footprint
Following the GHG Protocol Guidance for accurately calculating our carbon footprint, we have identified three criteria for the emissions of our roasted coffee and retail beverage service business for 2023: our equipment, our utilities, our products, and our sales operations, with total CO2 emissions of 263 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, or tCO2e the standard unit for these measurements. Scope 1 emissions are those directly under our control and that happen at our plant, 25 tCO2e/yr; Scope 2 emissions are those caused by the electric energy we consume 15 tCO2e/yr; Scope 3 emissions are those from our supply chain and those caused by our customers’ use of our products and are notoriously difficult to calculate precisely. To that end we have sought and consulted expert advice, then rounded up, as always to err on the side of caution, 223 tCO2e/yr.
Since 2009, when Tiny Footprint Coffee was in its initial stage, we pledged to plant enough trees to sequester negative 50 pounds of carbon dioxide for every pound of coffee sold. That model helped fund a project in Ecuador until 2021. Then, however, due to global and local events beyond our control we moved our climate carbon-offsetting tree-planting work from Ecuador to Honduras in 2022 (we left the trees already planted in Ecuador, of course).
As a result, we identified a shortfall and need to backfill with additional, third-party, purchased carbon credits for 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, in 2022 we began a pilot reforestation project in Honduras in the Ocotepeque and Copan departments, which included planting 6,000 trees of various native species to kickstart our new environmental endeavors.
Keep reading and we’ll tell you all about our environmental plan for 2024-2025.
Reforestation in Honduras
This pilot project came to life as a result of the collaboration of three key parties: Tiny Footprint Coffee, Cima Cafe, and Tiny Carbon. In 2022, we visited our first reforestation sites in Copan and Ocotepeque, which are managed by Erik Garcia (Finca El Cedral) and Selin Recinos (Finca La Guadalupe), our local partners and specialty coffee farmers.
Meet all the people that helped bring this project to life!
Erik Garcia
Coffee producer based in Copan, Honduras
Selin Recinos
Coffee producer based in Ocotepeque, Honduras
Erik and Selin have been working for a while with our importer Andros from Cima Cafe, and we’ve had the honor to feature their coffees on our menu. Over the years, they have become a true embodiment of sustainable practices and commitment to environmental preservation by reforesting plots of land within their farms, and helping at our joint reforestation at the COCAEER dry mill site in Copan.
Andros and Alan with Cecilia Quan
Alongside this team, we have been able to plant over 1,000 trees at COCAEER, more than 1,500 at Erik’s Finca El Cedral, and more than 2,000 at Selin’s Finca La Guadalupe.
Among the trees planted, we have:
- Laurel (Cordia alliodora)
- Cortéz Amarillo (Tabebuia sp.)
- Honduran Pine (Pinus hondurensis)
- Spanish Cedar (Cedrela sp.)
- Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
- Walnut (Juglans neotropica)
- Pinabete (Pinus maximinoi)
- Calliandra (Calliandra sp.)
- Liquidambar (American Sweet Gum)
All of these trees are native to the area with the dual goal of regenerating forests and supporting thriving local flora and fauna. At the moment we are in the works of planting even more trees in this area to build more positive impact on these ecosystems. In light of this, this month (September 2024) we’ll be visiting Central America to check in on our Honduran sites and pursuing new opportunities in Honduras and El Salvador.
Expanding our Reforestation Efforts In Honduras
In addition to checking up and buttressing on our first tree planting sites in Honduras, the September 2024 trip will focus on establishing two and possibly three (if negotiations go well) new tree nurseries for our recently obtained tree seeds – over 500 thousand of them! This will reduce our costs versus the tree saplings we purchased from third parties in 2022 and ensure the availability of saplings over the next few years.
We will also evaluate new reforestation sites with Luha and Issel Medina, the producers of our Los Encinos - Guazpo coffee, in the Santiago de Puringla region; and with Cecilia Quan in the Marcala region.
Luha and Issel Medina
Project El Salvador
Earlier this year we had the opportunity to expand our efforts beyond Honduras, visiting coffee farmers and people concerned about the effects of climate change in the neighboring country of El Salvador. Fortunately, one stop was in the department of Ahuachapan, where we met Gabriela and Oswualdo Ortiz. In contrast to Selin and Erik in Honduras, Oswualdo and his family are not coffee producers. However, they are avid gardeners, tree planters, and owners of a defunct fruit tree farm. That they are committed to reforesting as a model for ecosystem restoration in their hometown of San Lorenzo.
Gabby and Oswualdo Ortiz
We had the opportunity to scout their land and connect with them and initiate the conversation on ways we could fund a reforestation plan focused on protecting a watershed on their property. As a result, this September we will be back in San Lorenzo to formalize the plan and help the Ortizfamily start the reforestation.
Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks, as we’ll be documenting the journey and gathering as much information and updates to share with you all.
Complimentary Climate-Conscious Actions
While our reforestation projects are a long-term investment focused on the permanency of long-standing and consistent climate action, we also take a more immediate approach with our local operations.
First and foremost, to further reduce our carbon footprint, we are purchasing a basket of high-quality, third-party carbon offset certificates to complete the backfill we identified as necessary in the latter years of COVID and as we transition from South to Central America.
Additionally, as has been true for over a decade, we continue to procure all of our electricity from Xcel Energy’s renewables program, further reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, as well as sourcing more eco-friendly materials and implementing energy-saving measures throughout their production process such as high-efficiency lighting, fuel-efficient burners on our roasters, and composting grounds to reduce waste around the shop.
On to a greener future
At Tiny Footprint Coffee, we're dedicated to roasting high-quality, artisan coffees while actively contributing to climate action and environmental conservation. Our mission has always been about more than just making exceptional coffee; it's about ensuring that every cup you enjoy makes a positive impact on the planet. We’re proud to be the world’s first carbon-negative coffee, and we continue to strive to become an even more impactful organization in the future - as we share our journey with all of you.
If you’d like to learn more about our work, we invite you to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on our socials. It’s the best way to keep up with our ongoing reforestation projects, get the latest updates on new coffee offerings, and learn more about how your daily cup of coffee is making a difference in the fight against climate change.
See you next time,
