Indonesian Coffee Carbon Footprint (PCF): 2025 Buyer Guide

Exactly which documents to ask for, how to read boundaries, what counts as third‑party verification, and how to tie a coffee PCF to your lot with chain‑of‑custody proof. A practical 2025 checklist from the Indonesia‑Coffee Team.

If you buy Indonesian green coffee for a quality‑conscious market, you’re probably being asked for product carbon footprint numbers that hold up in Scope 3 audits. We get pulled into these conversations every week, and the pattern is clear. Buyers don’t need glossy sustainability stories. They need a defensible PCF tied to the actual lot they’re purchasing.

Here’s the exact buyer’s checklist we use and share with partners. It will save you rounds of email and keep you out of trouble when CSRD, retailer due diligence or internal audit comes knocking.

The three pillars of a credible PCF for Indonesian green coffee

Clear system boundary and functional unit.

Functional unit should be 1 kg green coffee at a stated moisture content, typically 10 to 12 percent. If the unit is per cup or per roasted kg, stop and ask for a green coffee unit.
Boundary must be explicit. Common ones you’ll see:
- Farm gate. Farming and cherry transport to first processing site.
- Mill gate. Includes farm plus primary processing. For Indonesia this may be washed, semi‑washed or wet‑hulled up to pergudangan or dry mill.
- FOB export gate. Includes farm, processing and internal logistics to port and export packing.
- Delivered to your port. Often called CIF or DDP in trade terms, but for carbon accounting you want a transport boundary defined using ISO 14083 or the GLEC Framework. Ask for the method and the carrier data source.
Takeaway. Always match boundaries to your Scope 3 Category 1 need. If your corporate inventory cuts off at FOB, don’t accept a farm‑gate value without mill and internal transport.

Primary data and data quality, including land use change.

Primary data. Fuel and electricity at mills, yield and moisture logs, hulling and drying losses, transport distances and modes, bagging materials. In our experience, missing diesel and electricity at wet mills is the number one gap.
Land use change. In 2025 many buyers want alignment with the GHG Protocol Land Sector guidance. You don’t need a PhD to check this. Look for geolocation of farm areas, a method for LUC amortization over 20 years, and a statement saying whether LUC is included or excluded. If there’s no LUC section at all, that’s a red flag.
Emission factors. Ecoinvent, Agribalyse, IPCC defaults and local grid factors are typical. Make sure sources and versions are cited.
Takeaway. A short “PCF certificate” without a data quality discussion is not enough.

Independent verification and chain of custody.

Third‑party PCF verification. For public claims and external reporting, ask for a verification statement from an accredited VVB. Examples include SGS, TÜV, DNV, SCS, Control Union. The statement should reference ISO 14067 and ISO 14064/14065 competence, the functional unit and boundary, and the period covered.
Chain of custody. Your PCF is only as good as its link to your lot. You want a mass balance or identity preserved trail from farmer groups to the export lot number on the bill of lading. More on the exact documents below.
Takeaway. Self‑declared numbers can be used for internal screening. For supplier‑specific Scope 3 disclosure to customers, get third‑party verified numbers or be transparent about assurance level.

Weeks 1–2. Quick due diligence you can run with every supplier

Ask for these five documents up front. You’ll halve your back‑and‑forth.

ISO 14067 PCF study summary. Goal and scope, functional unit, boundary, allocation rules, LUC treatment, data sources, and the study period. A 6 to 12 page summary is normal.
PCF declaration for the specific product. One page with the number in kg CO2e per kg green coffee, boundary, data period, uncertainty, and contact for technical questions.
Third‑party verification statement. If available. Look for scope, standard, level of assurance and date.
Chain‑of‑custody mapping. Mill batch IDs, blending logs, lot numbers, warehouse receipts and the export packing list template. You’re checking that the PCF can be tied to your lot, not just a generic origin.
Transport method note. If you want delivered emissions, ask for a method aligned to ISO 14083 or GLEC and carrier‑specific data tied to the bill of lading.

Copy‑paste request email you can use today

Subject: PCF request for upcoming Indonesian green coffee contract

Hi [Supplier name],

We’re finalizing a purchase and need a product carbon footprint aligned with ISO 14067 for Scope 3 reporting. Could you please share the following for the specific lot or product we’ll buy?

PCF summary report with goal and scope, boundary, functional unit (kg green coffee), data period and LUC treatment.
PCF declaration showing kg CO2e/kg at [farm gate/mill gate/FOB/delivered] boundary.
Third‑party verification statement if available.
Chain‑of‑custody mapping from farmer groups to export lot ID and packing list template.
If delivered emissions are included, the transport method used (ISO 14083 or GLEC) and whether data are carrier‑specific.

Thanks and please share any clarifying questions.

Best, [Your name]

If you want us to sanity‑check a supplier’s pack, just reach out on WhatsApp. We’re happy to review boundaries and chain‑of‑custody before you sign.

Weeks 3–6. How to read a PCF and spot issues fast

What documents prove ISO 14067 compliance?

You’re looking for three items. A PCF study summary referencing ISO 14067 and ISO 14040/44 for the LCA methods. A PCF declaration with the number, boundary, and period. A third‑party verification statement if external assurance was performed. If the supplier claims ISO 14067 but cannot show goal and scope, data quality and allocation rules, it’s not decision‑grade.

How do I tell if land use change is included?

There should be a dedicated line item or section labeled Land Use Change or LUC. It should describe the geographies covered and the amortization period, usually 20 years. If geolocation is available because of EUDR compliance, that is a helpful cross‑check. LUC can add 0.5 to 3.0 kg CO2e per kg depending on context. If the report says “LUC excluded” you can still use the number. Just disclose that it’s without LUC and consider a sensitivity range.

Does the PCF include ocean freight or only farm and mill?

Find the boundary line. Farm gate and FOB exclude ocean freight by definition. If the PCF is “delivered to Rotterdam” or similar, ask which standard was used for transport. ISO 14083 and the GLEC Framework are common. For Indonesia to Northern Europe, container sea freight typically adds 0.2 to 0.6 kg CO2e per kg green coffee depending on routing, carrier fuel and container utilization. Ask for carrier‑specific data tied to your bill of lading whenever possible.

Is a self‑declared PCF enough for Scope 3 reporting?

For internal hotspots and screening, yes. For customer‑facing claims or audited CSRD reporting, we recommend third‑party verification. If all you can get is self‑declared, document the methodology, keep the chain‑of‑custody file, and apply a conservative uncertainty buffer in your inventory.

What PCF range is realistic for Indonesian beans in 2025?

Rough guide from our projects and literature benchmarks.

Arabica washed or semi‑washed, farm to FOB without LUC. 2.8 to 4.8 kg CO2e/kg.
Sumatra wet‑hulled lots, farm to FOB without LUC. 3.0 to 5.0 kg CO2e/kg. The range overlaps washed. Farming inputs drive most variance.
Robusta, farm to FOB without LUC. 2.0 to 4.0 kg CO2e/kg. Often lower fertilizer intensity and higher yields per hectare.
Add ocean freight to EU or North America. 0.2 to 0.6 kg CO2e/kg as a working range. Numbers outside these bands are not impossible. They do warrant deeper review of fertilizer assumptions, yields, moisture, allocation and LUC.

How often should suppliers update PCF values and what data period should they cover?

Annual updates are ideal. Data period should cover a recent 12‑month cycle that matches the crop and processing months, not a calendar year if that splits harvests oddly. Significant process changes, fuel switches or different origins in a blend should trigger an interim update.

Which chain‑of‑custody records link a PCF to my lot or contract?

Ask for a simple map with 6 to 10 anchors you can verify.

Farmer group registry and purchase records for cherry or parchment.
Mill intake logs, drying and hulling batch IDs, moisture records.
Yield and loss reconciliation from cherry to green coffee.
Storage warehouse receipts and movement orders.
Blend sheets showing how batches are combined into an export lot.
QC cupping and sample IDs that match the lot.
Packing list with bag markings and lot numbers.
Bill of lading, export customs and ICO certificate of origin.
If certified schemes are involved, the mass balance or identity preserved status. Keep copies. This is the audit trail that makes a PCF lot‑specific instead of generic.

Weeks 7–12. Put PCF to work in procurement and product

Use the PCF in contracts.

Add a PCF annex that locks the functional unit, boundary, number, study period, assurance level, and the lot IDs covered. Include a clause for updated values if the supplier improves or changes process.
For delivered PCF, specify transport method and data sources. Ask for the carrier emissions file after sailing, tied to your bill of lading.

Negotiate practical reductions that matter at buyer level.

Shipping choices. Consolidate to improve container utilization. Ask about lower‑carbon services where available and documented.
Packaging. Recycled or reduced packaging can be included at FOB boundary. Make sure it’s modeled.
Origin mix. If you are blending, Robusta components can lower intensity per kg in some profiles. Our Robusta Lampung Green Coffee Beans (ELB & Grades 2–4) are a common espresso base for this reason.
Process choices. Washed Bali lots like Arabica Bali Kintamani Grade 1 Green Coffee Beans and wet‑hulled North Sumatra lots such as Blue Batak Green Coffee Beans show similar PCF ranges. Differences are usually from farm inputs, yields and moisture. We advise buyers to select cup profile first, then work reductions through logistics and on‑farm programs.

If you need a buyer‑ready PCF pack tied to a lot of Sumatra Mandheling Green Coffee Beans or a Bali shipment, we can assemble the study summary, declaration and chain‑of‑custody in 2 to 3 weeks for standard FOB boundaries. Questions about your project timing or scope. Contact us on email and we’ll advise what’s realistic.

Red flags we see in coffee PCF reports from Indonesia

A single number with no boundary, no functional unit and no data period.
No mention of land use change, geolocation or amortization.
Omits cherry to green allocation and yields. Or assumes impossible yields.
Wet mills with zero energy use. Look for diesel or grid electricity logs.
Same PCF number for every origin and process. Reality varies.
No uncertainty or sensitivity. Or claims false precision to two decimals.
Outdated data older than three years for a rapidly changing mill.
“Carbon neutral” claims based on offsets with no PCF study attached.
Delivered numbers based on generic calculators without matching the actual route and carrier.

If two or more of these show up, pause and ask for clarifications before you rely on the number.

Tools and quick references

Standards. ISO 14067 for PCF. ISO 14040/44 for LCA. ISO 14083 and the GLEC Framework for transport emissions. GHG Protocol Product Standard and Land Sector guidance for Scope 3 alignment.
Software and databases. OpenLCA or SimaPro with Ecoinvent. Agribalyse for agriculture factors where relevant. Cool Farm Tool can support farm inputs if primary data are thin.
Sanity checks. Back‑calculate farm energy and fertilizer contributions. Cross‑check ocean freight with a carrier calculator and distance.

Our experience shows that when you ask for the right five documents on day one and insist on chain‑of‑custody, you avoid 80 percent of disputes later. And when your PCF pack is tied to a named lot, your customer conversations get a lot easier. If you want to explore specific Indonesian lots that fit a target PCF and cup profile, you can also view our products and we’ll guide you on boundaries and data we already hold.