«Enjoy the coffee in the morning, because in a few years it might no longer exist.” The journalist raises the alarm Christopher Mims on the pages of Wall Street Journala newspaper that analyzes statistical data and market trends: in the future we could only pour into our cups synthetic coffeebecause half of the land currently used for coffee plantations risks becoming unusable by 2050. The numbers actually speak clearly: considering that a single arabica plant produces on average between 450 and 900 grams of coffee per year, it means that a person who only drinks one coffee in the morning and another after lunch (for a total of two cups of coffee) requires the entire annual production of at least twenty plants, without considering the harmful emissions from processing. As reported by the magazine Geography abd Environment, to produce just one kilo of coffee, approximately 16 kilos of CO2 are released into the atmosphere. A figure that must in turn be multiplied by the 95 million coffee drunk in Italy, at home, at work or at a bar, which becomes 3.1 billion if we broaden the perspective to the entire globe.
The new streets of coffee
Faced with this worrying prospect, some companies are already exploring biotechnology to develop alternatives to natural coffee, which satisfy consumer tastes, but without the vulnerabilities associated with climate fluctuations and environmental and social sustainability. Among the first to experiment with an alternative to coffee is the VTT Technical Research Centre, in Finland, where a team of researchers cultivated plant cells obtained from a sample of coffee plants, then transferring them into bioreactors (growth “accelerators”) to generate further biomass (a method that does not require pesticides and uses much less water than conventional agriculture). After analyzing the resulting biomass, the researchers carried out roasting in the oven: according to the experts, who were the first to taste a cup made from this coffee grown in vitro, the flavor of the drink was reminiscent of that of classic coffee.
The environment and the future
«Mass producing conventional coffee has a negative impact on the environment and implies the exploitation of the work of local communities» are the words of Heiko Rischer, of the VVT. With bioreactors of almost 100,000 litres, like those available at the research centre, it would be possible to produce this new drink on a large scale: «If our synthetic coffee could satisfy the demand for the lower quality one, farmers could limit themselves to offering a high quality product. And they would earn more.” The case of is singular Atom Coffeethe startup of Seattle which identified and catalogued, one by one, the molecules that give the drink aroma, color and organoleptic sensations and replaced them in the laboratory with sustainable substances of plant origin, with 93% less carbon emissions and 94% less less water used than conventional coffee. The result? A blend of date seeds, ramon seeds, lemon, pea protein, fenugreek, guava, millet, fructose, sunflower seeds, sodium bicarbonate and caffeine derived from green tea, which resembles coffee in every way, but with a less bitter nuance. Also other companies like Voyage Foods, Minus Coffee, Prefer, Stem and Northern Wonder they are following the same path, with increasingly satisfactory results. «The experience we get from coffee – he explains Adam MaxwellCEO of Voyager Foods – is actually driven by the process used to produce them”, therefore more by the roasting than by the bean.
The reactions
However, the challenge remains in consumer acceptance and adaptation of traditional farmers to these new technologies. Convincing end users that lab-grown coffee can be as satisfying as plantation-grown coffee won’t be easy. Probably, persuading the public to give pseudo-coffee a chance will be the cost of espresso coffee itself, which has already undergone price increases in recent years, as reported by Assoutenti, according to whom the rises in coffee prices on international markets they already risk having direct repercussions on the pockets of Italians.
Read also
— Coffee, the complete guide to preserving it at home without errors
— Coffee, recipes and tricks to enhance it in the kitchen
— How to drink coffee correctly? 5 rules for enjoying all the goodness of espresso
— Coffee at home, how to preserve it and prepare it perfectly with the moka: the complete guide
— The best espresso in the world? The Cuban one. The TasteAtlas ranking
