Let’s briefly look at the most consumed beverages globally: mineral water, tea and coffee. In 2021, approximately 470 million litres of mineral water were consumed globally. In addition, we drink 2.6 billion cups of coffee per day and 25,000 cups of tea – per second—no wonder these consumptions are likely to impact the environment.

Figure 1: Commonly consumed beverages. Own presentation, based on Aaria Catering.

Plant-based milk substitutes

With discussions about vegetarian or vegan diets, the consumption of milk products also arose. Thus, dairy products are increasingly discussed, and plant-based alternatives are increasingly common and gaining market share. Since they have, presuming, a lower impact than cow milk. Let’s consider the implications for livestock breeding regarding land usage, water consumption, fertilisers & chemicals. We should also consider plant-based products more closely. If we look at the amount of water needed for one litre of cow milk, the balance favours plant- based liquids: 628 l compared to 28. With a total consumption of 190 million tons of milk per year, the difference amount to an incredible 114 billion litres of water that could be saved if no cow milk were produced globally – which is highly unlikely. Nevertheless, reducing livestock globally to a decent amount could positively influence water demand. And what about the other factors? The most common alternative to cow milk is based on soy. The largest soy milk producers in Europe source the raw material from European countries. Thus, negative impacts such as deforestation of rainforests caused by soy production for animal feed are very unlikely. The second most consumed substitute tells a different story: almond milk. To a large extent, the almonds grown for almond milk are grown in the US in vast monocultures. Apart from large quantities of water and pesticides and almost no biodiversity on the farms, the bees needed to pollen the trees are transported in large amounts throughout the States. Often, the animals die from stress and diseases that quickly spread among the hives. We also must consider this when discussing the potential advantages of plant-based substitutes. Compared to milk, plant-based alternatives are mixed with additives, such as vitamin D and vitamin B12; However, these contribute to the environmental impact of these beverages, and the overall ecological effects of cow milk are higher than the substitutes. So, if we consider consuming less milk than we usually would, or even try out a plant-based substitute from time to time, and – above all – tell our friends and families about our experiences, we might influence their behaviour.

Coffee time

I have to admit that I had five to ten cups of coffee per day. Creamy, tasty Café latte, temping Cappuccino, sweet Espresso – you name it. I did not spend seconds on the influence my cravings had on the environment, climate or farmers. My employers’ automatic speciality coffee machines ground them all away. I felt like in coffee heaven. Until I realised that it wasn’t only me, but most of my colleagues. And when I estimated how much coffee we consumed within our relatively small business unit, I wondered how much coffee was in our company. Or the neighbouring companies. In my free time, I often went to cafés in the afternoons and barely came across fair trade or organic coffee offers – that at least, luckily changed. But still, coffee consumption impacts the environment and farmers’ lives. In 2020, 10.7 million tons of coffee were grown on more than eleven million hectares. That does not only sound a lot; it is: please imagine an area the size of Germany as a coffee plantation. And not only this: mathematically, only one-sixth of each bean will contribute to our coffee delight, with each cup of 200 ml needing 15 beans, which means 80 beans per cup (for me, that would have been 800 beans per day). So, the overall efficiency of coffee plantations is relatively low. There are measures to keep the impact of the plantation as small as possible. For example, monocultures can easily be affected by pests, such as bugs or fungi. To avoid them, chemicals are often applied in large amounts, polluting the land and water streams and might also impose health risks for farm workers. But if we avoid monocultures, biodiversity can be increased on the farmlands, making the application of certain chemicals unnecessary because predators of specific bugs can naturally reduce their amount. Also, more resilient plants, which are less affected by certain diseases, can help to increase efficiency. Also, new farming methods can help to make farms more efficient and less volatile, for example, by placing different types of plants, such as bananas or local fruit and shadow trees.