- Coffee is so popular that bean-growing crops are devastating the environment.
- So some companies are using biotechnology to create viable coffee alternatives.
- Some use beanless coffee made from other ingredients, while others are developing lab-grown coffee.
Your morning cup of joe might be missing a key ingredient in the future: coffee beans.
Coffee is so popular around the world that the vast crop requirements are devastating the environment. So some companies are seeking a more sustainable alternative.
A handful of them are already using biotechnology and food science to create viable coffee replacements, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Atomo, one of those companies, has launched a series of beanless products. Its Coachella Latte Blend is a ground espresso made from things like date seeds, lemon, and guava. A one-pound bag of the regular and decaf versions both retail for $15.99.
Other companies are relying on lab-grown cells from coffee plants, the Journal reported.
Demand for coffee remains high, with the National Coffee Association reporting in 2020 that the average American drinks "just over 3 cups per day." The Journal reported that people worldwide drink two billion cups of coffee daily.
This has led to mass deforestation, heightened carbon emissions, and low wages for the farmers who tend to the crops. The climate crisis is also making land typically suitable for coffee production unfit.
The coffee industry is also eyeing a possible price surge in the future as El Niño causes a drought in Vietnam, which produces the largest amount of the robusta coffee variety in the world, Bloomberg reported in April.
Beanless coffee and other alternatives might be a good solution to all these coffee woes. But much like the lab-grown and alternative meat industry, convincing consumers to try it might be the biggest challenge of all.
