In this caffeinated clash, DW spills the beans on which of our favorite morning beverages makes for a more sustainable brew — and stirs up some ways to make an eco-friendlier blend. Tea and coffee are luxury goods. They're not required for us to survive but many of us feel we couldn't live without our daily dose of steaming hot caffeine.
Tea is the second most consumed drink after water and coffee isn't far behind — we drink billions of these beverages daily. And human culture is steeped in both drinks. Coffee traces its origins back to 9th century Ethiopia , where legend has it that a goat herder named Kaldi discovered the energizing effects of coffee berries by chance.
Tea has its roots in ancient China , where the mythical figure Shen Nong is said to have accidentally poisoned himself and was saved by an errant tea leaf falling into his mouth. It took a while, but both addictive beverages finally reached Europe by the 17th century and became the drink of choice in the coffee and tea houses where public intellectuals met to discuss the issues of the day. Such was the popularity of these "drug foods," as they are known, that their trade helped fuel the expansion of empires.
These days, they are farmed intensively , processed, packaged and shipped around the world, leaving their mark on the environment in the process. What factors impact the environmental footprint of tea and coffee? The impact of these beverages can vary depending on a number of factors. But there is som.