When you brew your morning coffee, you probably think it takes just a mug of water: maybe 200 millilitres to fill the cup and kick-start your day. But hidden behind your comforting ritual lies more than you think.
From irrigating coffee plants on tropical hillsides to washing freshly harvested beans and processing them into grounds or pods, every step in the coffee supply chain relies on water. According to research from the Water Footprint Network, producing a single 125-millilitre cup of coffee requires around 130 to 140 litres of water, most of it embedded in farming and processing. That means your daily espresso might “drink” as much water as a person uses in an entire shower.
And yet, as coffee culture grows, fuelled by the rise of single-serve pods, drive-through lattes, and sprawling global chains, the true water cost remains largely invisible to consumers. However, major coffee brands including Starbucks, Nestlé, and Nespresso are reshaping their operations by reducing their water use and promoting more sustainable sourcing practices. These initiatives mark an important step toward a more responsible coffee industry and show how major brands can influence change across global supply chains.
How Those Litres are Spent
Cultivation: The bulk of the “hidden water” comes during the growing phase. Coffee plants depend heavily on rainfall, but in regions with recurring droughts, such as parts of Brazil and Vietnam, irrigation is expanding, intensifying pressure on groundwater and aquifers.
Processing: After harvest, most coffee undergoes wet (washed) processing, which can consume 50–200 litres of water per kilogram of green coffee. Research published in Environmental Systems Research and Scientific Reports 2019 shows that wet mills generate highly polluted wastewater rich in organic matter (high BOD/COD) and low pH, which can rapidly deplete oxygen levels in local streams if untreated (Mihret Dananto Ulsido, Muhammed-Ziyad Geleto and Yohannes Seifu Berego, 2024). Sustainable mills are now introducing closed-loop water systems, recirculation tanks, and anaerobic digestion units that not only cut water use and neutralise effluent before discharge but also produce biogas which is a renewable energy source that can power parts of the milling process and reduce overall emissions (Campos et al., 2021).
Which countries produce the coffee and how water-stressed are they?
Stretching around the equator, the coffee belt spans more than 70 tropical countries where heat, humidity, and altitude align to grow the beans that fuel much of the world’s mornings. Yet within this narrow band, which excludes cooler, consumer nations like the UK — the story of water looks very different from one region to another. In Brazil, repeated droughts have turned once rain-fed plantations in Minas Gerais and Bahia into vast irrigated systems drawing heavily from underground reserves like the Urucuia aquifer, stretching the limits of local water supplies (Teixeira & Samora, 2025). In Vietnam, smallholders in Đắk Lắk and Gia Lai are drilling ever deeper for groundwater as falling rainfall and years of overuse dry up shallow wells, raising fears of long-term depletion (Teixeira, 2024). Colombian farmers face a more unique challenge: their traditional wet mills wash coffee with large amounts of clean water and often discharge it untreated into rivers, though new “eco-mills” developed by Cenicafé can reuse water and cut contamination by over 80%. Moreover, in Ethiopia's highland regions such as Sidama and Yirgacheffe, thousands of small washing stations release coffee wastewater back into streams, with some rivers showing oxygen levels close to zero during the harvest season (Genanaw et al., 2021). Meanwhile in Indonesia, erratic rainfall, deforestation, and runoff from wet mills continue to strain local watersheds, prompting cooperatives, backed by groups like the Rainforest Alliance, to replant trees and install small-scale treatment ponds to protect nearby farms and villages (Pepper, 2022; Nerger, 2022).
The Role of Big Brands and What Comes Next
The coffee industry sits at the centre of the global sustainability conversation. From farmers’ fields to factory floors, major brands are acknowledging that their future depends on protecting the water, land, and people that make coffee possible. Many of the largest companies have made public sustainability commitments, signed on to global frameworks such as the United Nations Global Compact, and developed long-term regenerative agriculture strategies that aim to reduce their environmental footprint while improving farmers’ resilience.
Nestlé’s Nescafé Plan 2030 is a key part of the company’s regenerative roadmap. It invests in farmer training across Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, and Côte d’Ivoire, promoting techniques like mulching, soil cover, shade-growing, and more efficient irrigation (Nestlé, 2022). These practices help the soil retain moisture and reduce dependence on blue-water irrigation, while also improving yields and livelihoods. The plan ties into Nestlé’s broader aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on clean water, responsible consumption, and climate action.
Brands can also build partnerships that show real commitment to tackling environmental and social challenges. A good example is Nespresso’s collaboration with Change Please: a UK-based social enterprise that supports people experiencing homelessness. Together, they created the pink capsule range, with proceeds funding barista training and job opportunities. While not directly linked to water conservation, this initiative reflects how coffee companies can use their global reach to drive positive change and inspire broader sustainability efforts across the industry.
Starbucks continues to scale its Greener Stores program, which aims to reduce water, energy, and waste across thousands of outlets by 2030. Certified stores have already shown a 30% cut in water use compared to conventional cafés. Illycaffè, meanwhile, has built its identity around responsible quality: it became a B Corp and invests in research through the Ernesto Illy Foundation to promote efficient irrigation, soil conservation, and biodiversity in origin countries. Lavazza, through its Foundation, runs projects that install small-scale wastewater treatment systems and train farmers on climate adaptation, demonstrating that responsibility can be built into even traditional family brands.
Collective Action
Across the sector, partnerships are proving that cooperation achieves more than competition. Initiatives like the Global Coffee Platform (GCP), the Sustainable Coffee Challenge (SCC), and the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) bring together producers, NGOs, and brands to share data, fund innovation, and pilot better water management systems (Wright et al., 2024). These collaborations focus on practical solutions, from developing farm-level water stewardship standards and training programmes for smallholders, to investing in cleaner wet-mill technology and restoring riparian zones that protect local rivers. The results are gradual but meaningful: improved access to clean water for farming communities, cleaner rivers near processing mills, and more resilient landscapes capable of withstanding climate extremes.
What You Can Do
While the biggest impact lies with producers and brands, individual choices still matter. Every small action can help reduce the hidden water footprint of our daily coffee.
Choose brands with transparent sourcing
Support companies that openly share where their coffee comes from and how it’s grown. Brands that publish sustainability reports or partner with certified initiatives are usually those investing in fair trade, cleaner water use, and better farming practices. By choosing them, you help direct demand toward responsible production.
Support circular systems
Single-use packaging doesn’t have to mean single use forever. Many coffee brands now run pod-return or recycling schemes, and others are developing compostable capsules. Taking part in these programs helps reduce waste and the resources needed to produce new materials.
Buy only what you’ll brew
Coffee tastes best fresh, and wasting it means wasting all the water, energy, and labour behind it. Buying smaller amounts more often, or brewing just what you need, is one of the simplest ways to cut your environmental impact.
Champion reuse
Reusable cups and tumblers are small symbols of a bigger habit: valuing resources. Bringing your own cup, or choosing cafés that reward sustainable habits, saves thousands of disposable cups and the water and energy used to make them.
Stay curious and engaged
Ask where your coffee was grown, how the farmers are supported, and what sustainability steps your favourite brands are taking. Curiosity drives accountability, and when consumers care, companies listen.
Connected by Coffee
If coffee connects the world through comfort and culture, then its sustainability must connect us through care and cooperation. From Brazil’s water-stressed plantations to your local café, each cup is a reminder of the global resources that sustain it. The industry’s future, and ours, depends on turning those invisible litres into visible action.
References
Campos, R.C., Pinto, V.R.A., Melo, L.F., Rocha, S.J.S.S. da and Coimbra, J.S. (2021). New sustainable perspectives for ‘Coffee Wastewater’ and other by-products: A critical review. Future Foods, [online] 4, p.100058. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fufo.2021.100058.
Conservation.org. (2018). Sustainable Landscapes Partnership. [online] Available at: https://www.conservation.org/projects.
Genanaw, W., Kanno, G.G., Derese, D. and Aregu, M.B. (2021). Effect of Wastewater Discharge From Coffee Processing Plant on River Water Quality, Sidama Region, South Ethiopia. Environmental Health Insights, 15, p.117863022110610. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/11786302211061047.
Ijanu, E.M., Kamaruddin, M.A. and Norashiddin, F.A. (2019). Coffee processing wastewater treatment: a critical review on current treatment technologies with a proposed alternative. Applied Water Science, 10(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-019-1091-9.
Mihret Dananto Ulsido, Muhammed-Ziyad Geleto and Yohannes Seifu Berego (2024). Waste Water Management in Wet Coffee Processing Mills and their Impact on the Water quality status of Gidabo River and its Tributaries, Southern Ethiopia. Environmental Health Insights, 18. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/11786302241260953.
Nerger, M. (2022). Indonesian Coffee Farmers Help Conserve Biodiversity in Iconic National Park. [online] Rainforest Alliance. Available at: https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/in-the-field/sustainable-coffee-helps-protect-iconic-national-park-in-sumatra-indonesia/?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 20 Oct. 2025].
Pepper, D. (2022). Root Capital and Keurig Dr Pepper Announce the Indonesia Resilient Coffee Initiative with USAID. [online] Prnewswire.com. Available at: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/root-capital-and-keurig-dr-pepper-announce-the-indonesia-resilient-coffee-initiative-with-usaid-301706139.html+ [Accessed 3 Nov. 2025].
Teixeira, M. (2024). Vietnam coffee farmers boost irrigation but running low on water, says report. Reuters. [online] 29 Apr. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/vietnam-coffee-farmers-boost-irrigation-running-low-water-says-report-2024-04-29/.
Teixeira, M. and Samora, R. (2025). Brazil’s coffee farmers turn to costly irrigation to quench global demand for the brew . Reuters. [online] 31 Mar. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/brazils-coffee-farmers-turn-costly-irrigation-quench-global-demand-brew-2025-03-31/.
Wright, D.R., Bekessy, S.A., Lentini, P.E., Garrard, G.E., Gordon, A., Rodewald, A.D., Bennett, R.E. and Selinske, M.J. (2024). Sustainable coffee: a Review of the Diverse Initiatives and Governance Dimensions of Global Coffee Supply Chains. Ambio, 53(7). doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-024-02003-w.