A recent study shows how switching from sprinklers to drip irrigation in coffee-growing regions can address water scarcity.
BY BHAVI PATEL
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Featured photo by Dhan Sugui
Your morning cup of robusta coffee has a bigger environmental story than you might expect, and it starts long before the roaster. As climate volatility squeezes coffee-growing regions and water scarcity climbs the global agenda, the question of how coffee is grown matters as much as where it’s grown.
A new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study from Orbia Netafim is making a compelling case that switching from sprinklers to drip irrigation could be one of the most powerful levers the industry has for cleaning up its act, while actually producing more coffee.
Dak Lak into the lab
The study was conducted between 2022 and 2024 in Dak Lak Province, Vietnam, one of the world’s most prolific robusta coffee-producing regions, and evaluated the full cultivation cycle under two irrigation methods: traditional overhead sprinkler irrigation versus drip irrigation.
Researchers assessed water use, energy consumption, agricultural inputs (fertilizers and crop-protection chemicals), and yield performance. The findings were then certified and compiled into a formal LCA, giving the data the kind of scientific credibility the industry increasingly demands from sustainability claims.
A look at the numbers
Let’s talk results:
GWP down nearly 60%
The study found that drip irrigation lowered the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of robusta coffee plantations by almost 60%, driven by reduced energy consumption and more efficient use of agricultural inputs. For an industry under mounting pressure to meet ESG targets and respond to consumer demand for sustainably sourced coffee, that’s a seismic shift.
Water use cut by 56%
Drip-irrigated plantations used roughly half the water per ton of coffee beans produced compared to overhead sprinkler systems. In regions like Dak Lak, where water availability is increasingly tied to rainfall unpredictability, that kind of efficiency can be a powerful survival strategy.
Chemical use reduced by 46%
Precision irrigation means fertilizers and crop-protection products are delivered directly to the root zone, reducing runoff and waste. The result: nearly half the chemical load per ton of beans produced. That is good news for soil health, local ecosystems, and the farmers handling those inputs daily.
Yield up by more than 50%
Here’s the standout aspect of the study: Drip irrigation did not just reduce the environmental cost of growing coffee. It increased production. Drip-irrigated plots yielded more than 50% more coffee beans per hectare than sprinkler-irrigated ones, meaning growers can do more with less land, less water, and a lighter environmental footprint.
Precision agriculture meets the Coffee Belt
These results don’t happen by accident. Behind the numbers is Orbia Netafim’s Coffee Protocol: a comprehensive, agronomically proven set of best practices for irrigation and fertigation developed over six decades of global field research. Tailored to specific climate zones, terrains, and coffee varieties, the Protocol integrates real-time monitoring and digital farming tools to deliver consistent, measurable results.
“Through decades of collaboration with farmers and leading coffee producers, Orbia Netafim has developed proven solutions that deliver more yield with fewer resources, reducing carbon footprints, cutting water use, and strengthening long-term farm resilience,” says Ram Lisaey, Head of Global Agronomy at Orbia Netafim. He called precision irrigation “a practical, scalable pathway for coffee growers and companies to achieve supply chain resilience, advance their ESG targets and bring more sustainably grown coffee to market.”
The bigger picture in every bean
This LCA builds on earlier Netafim studies showing comparable environmental gains in corn and potato cultivation, suggesting that drip irrigation’s impact is not a one-crop wonder—it is a model for precision agriculture at scale. For the specialty-coffee world, where traceability and transparency are non-negotiable, evidence like this matters enormously. The next time you pull a shot of robusta, consider this: Sustainability in the cup begins with a drop at the root. The coffee industry now has both the data and the technology to make every drop count, and the clock is ticking to act on it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bhavi Patel is a food writer focusing on coffee and tea, and a brand-building specialist with a background in dairy technology and an interest in culinary history and sensory perception of food.
Subscribe and More!
As always, you can enjoy your own copy of Barista Magazine by subscribing or ordering an issue. Long live physical media!
Support Barista Magazine and show your love with a Membership.
Signup for our weekly newsletter.
Join us at Camp Coffee Shop Aug. 10-13 in Napa, California.
Read the June + July 2026 Issue for free with our digital edition.
