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PSA: I just found out how much water a single coffee plant needs
I was reading a report from the National Coffee Association and it said a mature coffee plant needs about 1 gallon of water per day during the growing season. That's a lot more than I thought for one little bush. Makes you think about where your beans really come from. Has anyone else looked into the water footprint for their favorite coffee region?
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the_robin4mo ago
My buddy used to work on a coffee farm in Colombia and he told me the plants are practically spoiled divas during dry season. The farmers would haul water up the mountain in old gas cans because there was no irrigation system. One time they forgot to water one section for two days and the leaves went all droopy and sad looking. Meanwhile the neighbor's farm was doing the same crop on half the water. It really depends on the regional setup.
As for the per cup vs per plant debate, I've seen people argue about it online but my friend said their farm was definitely watering each plant individually in dry months. Not sure how that math works out when you order a latte in New York.
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rodriguez.mia6mo ago
That gallon per day figure is for a mature plant, right? I read that younger plants need less, but it still adds up fast on a farm. Does that report break down the water use by country? I've heard coffee from Ethiopia is mostly rain-fed, but places like Brazil use a lot more irrigation.
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