Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Robusta Green Coffee Cultivation Systems and Post-Harvest Processing in Pagar Alam, South Sumatra, Indonesia
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Submitted
June 15, 2025
Accepted
February 25, 2026
Published
April 5, 2026
Keywords:
-
Environmental impact, life cycle assessment, robusta coffee
Abstract
Pagar Alam Robusta coffee contributes significantly to the regional economy. Its cultivation and processing systems pose environmental challenges. This study compares the environmental performance of two cultivation methods (conventional-K1 and non-pesticide-K2) and six processing methods (natural origin-A1, broken skin origin-A2, natural aerobic-N1, natural anaerobic-N2, honey aerobic-H1, and honey anaerobic-H2). A cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted using a functional unit of 100 kg of green coffee beans, covering four impact categories: global warming potential (GWP), ozone depletion potential (ODP), acidification potential (AP), and eutrophication potential (EP). In the cultivation subsystem, K1 produced emissions of 85.70–117.00 kg CO₂-eq (GWP), 3.53×10-6–4.80×10-6 kg CFC-11-eq (ODP), 0.37–0.50 kg SO₂-eq (AP), and 0.16–0.22 kg PO₄-eq (EP), while K2 produced much lower emissions: 23.00–31.30 kg CO₂-eq (GWP), 2.22×10-7–3.03×10-7 kg CFC-11-eq (ODP), 0.09–0.13 kg SO₂-eq (AP), and 0.03–0.04 kg PO₄-eq (EP). In the processing subsystem, H2 had the highest emissions: 14.77 kg CO₂-eq (GWP), 6.48 kg CFC-11-eq (ODP), 0.04 kg SO₂-eq (AP), and 0.02 kg PO₄-eq (EP), while A1 had the lowest emissions: 5.23 kg CO₂-eq (GWP), 3.87 kg CFC-11-eq (ODP), 0.01 kg SO₂-eq (AP), and 0.001 kg PO₄-eq (EP). Implementing an improvement scenario based on non-pesticide cultivation (K2) could reduce emissions by approximately 65–93% across all impact categories. These findings demonstrate that adopting pesticide-free cultivation combined with simpler processing methods can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of Robusta coffee production in Pagar Alam and support more sustainable coffee management practices.
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8. Adiwinata, F.; Suprihatin, S.; Rahayuningsih, M. Analisis Daur Hidup (Life Cycle Assessment) Pengolahan Kopi Bubuk Robusta Secara Basah Di Industri Kecil Menengah (Ikm) Beloe Klasik Lampung. Agrointek J. Teknol. Ind. Pertan. 2021, 15, 1175–1182, doi:10.21107/agrointek.v15i4.11338.
9. Harsono, S.S.; Wibowo, R.K.K.; Supriyanto, E. Energy Balance And Green House Gas Emisson On Smallholder Java Coffee Production At Slopes Ijen Raung Plateau Of Indonesia. J. Ecol. Eng. 2021, 22, 271–283, doi:10.12911/22998993/138997.
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14. Chaerul, M.; Allia, V. Tinjauan Kritis Studi Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Di Indonesia. J. Serambi Eng. 2019, 5, 816–823, doi:10.32672/jse.v5i1.1653.
15. Hamdan, H.; Fauzi, A.; Rusli, M.; Rustiadi, E. A Study of the Smallholder Coffee Agroindustry Sustainability Condition Using the Life Cycle Assessment Approach in Bengkulu Province, Indonesia. J. Ecol. Eng. 2019, 20, 153–160, doi:10.12911/22998993/108636.
16. Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan Republik Indonesia Pedoman Penyusunan Laporan Penilaian Daur Hidup (LCA). Kementeri. Lingkung. Hidup dan Kehutan. 2021, 1–82.
17. Standard, I.; Preview, T.S. ISO 14044 Environmental Management-Life Cycle Assessment-Requirements and Guidelines Management Environnemental-Analyse Du Cycle de Vie-Exigences et Lignes Directrices ITeh STANDARD PREVIEW. 1404, 2006.
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19. Hu, L.T.K.T.A.H.; Chen, Y.C.L.Z.H. Comparative Life Cycle Assessment for Conventional and Organic Coffee Cultivation in Vietnam. 2019, doi:10.1007/s13762-019-02539-5.
20. Chéron-Bessou, C.; Acosta-Alba, I.; Boissy, J.; Payen, S.; Rigal, C.; Setiawan, A.A.R.; Sevenster, M.; Tran, T.; Azapagic, A. Unravelling Life Cycle Impacts of Coffee: Why Do Results Differ so Much among Studies? Sustain. Prod. Consum. 2024, 47, 251–266, doi:10.1016/j.spc.2024.04.005.
21. Irawan, A.; Rabemanolontsoa, H.; McLellan, B.C. Comprehensive Environmental Impact Analysis of Dry Processing Methods for Specialty Coffee Beans in Bondowoso, Indonesia Using Life Cycle Assessment. Biomass 2024, 4, 843–864, doi:10.3390/biomass4030047.
22. Rahmah, D.M.; Putra, A.S.; Ishizaki, R.; Noguchi, R.; Ahamed, T. A Life Cycle Assessment of Organic and Chemical Fertilizers for Coffee Production to Evaluate Sustainability toward the Energy–Environment–Economic Nexus in Indonesia. Sustain. 2022, 14, 1–28, doi:10.3390/su14073912.
23. Pratama, R.; Parinduri, L. Penaggulangan Pemanasan Global. Bul. Utama Tek. 2019, 15, 1410–4520.
24. Faisal, A.; Martini, M.; Hestiningsih, R.; Wuryanto, M.A. Aplikasi Fumigan Gas Fosfin (Hidrogen Fosfida (Ph3)) Untuk Pengendalian Tikus (Rodent). Vektora J. Vektor dan Reserv. Penyakit 2019, 11, 95–102, doi:10.22435/vk.v11i2.1911.
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28. United Nations Environment Programme - UNEP Synthesis Report on the Environmental and Health Impacts of Pesticides and Fertilizers and Ways to Minimize Them. Envisioning a Chemical-Safe World; 2022; ISBN 9789280739299.
29. Hasan, Y.; Roy, P.; Abbassi, B. Comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the Agri-Food Industry, Focusing on Organic and Conventional Coffee. Sustain. 2024, 16, doi:10.3390/su162410819.
30. Pramulya, R.; Bantacut, T.; Noor, E.; Yani, M.; Zulfajrin, M.; Setiawan, Y.; Pulunggono, H.B.; Sudrajat, S.; Anne, O.; Anwar, S.; et al. Carbon Footprint Calculation of Net CO2 in Agroforestry and Agroindustry of Gayo Arabica Coffee, Indonesia. Jordan J. Biol. Sci. 2023, 16, 335–343, doi:10.54319/jjbs/160218.
31. Gamatara, M.P.J.; Kusumawardani, D. Pengaruh Deforestasi Terhadap Emisi Co2 Pada Negara Beriklim Tropis Di Benua Asia. J. Ilm. Manajemen, Ekon. Akunt. 2024, 8, 1239–1256, doi:10.31955/mea.v8i2.4129.
32. Gosalvitr, P.; Cuéllar-Franca, R.M.; Smith, R.; Azapagic, A. An Environmental and Economic Sustainability Assessment of Coffee Production in the UK. Chem. Eng. J. 2023, 465, doi:10.1016/j.cej.2023.142793.
33. Sakamoto, H.; Bruschi, L.T.; Kulay, L.; Yamakami, A. Using the Life Cycle Approach for Multiobjective Optimization in the Context of the Green Supply Chain: A Case Study of Brazilian Coffee. Sustain. 2023, 15, doi:10.3390/su151813987.
Authors
Susanti, N., Romli, M. and Yani, M. (2026) “Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Robusta Green Coffee Cultivation Systems and Post-Harvest Processing in Pagar Alam, South Sumatra, Indonesia”, Jurnal Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Alam dan Lingkungan (Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Management), 16(2), p. 215. doi:10.29244/jpsl.16.2.215.
Copyright (c) 2026 Novia Susanti, Muhammad Romli, Mohamad Yani
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How to Cite
Susanti, N., Romli, M. and Yani, M. (2026) “Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Robusta Green Coffee Cultivation Systems and Post-Harvest Processing in Pagar Alam, South Sumatra, Indonesia”, Jurnal Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Alam dan Lingkungan (Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Management), 16(2), p. 215. doi:10.29244/jpsl.16.2.215.
