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The rise of synthetic coffee

Synthetic food products are becoming increasingly more common, whether we like it or not. the most recent example being synthetic coffee. Is this the future, or is it some kind of Frankenstein’s caffeinated monstrosity that no one will accept?

Why synthetic coffe?

According to some people the climate can’t handle the growing of coffee beans so we need to stop the natural production of them to be able to get our caffeine fix.

Coffee isn’t something that Western civilisation, or any civilisation for that matter, will accept to be cut off from. It’s just too ingrained into our culture by now, being consumed by rich and poor alike. If one were to accept the premise that we need to stop, or reduce the production of coffee beans, there must be a good alternative to take its place. Enter synthetic, laboratory- made coffee.

Making synthetic coffee

Currently, at least three startups are working on creating coffee alternatives in slightly different methods.

Atomo Coffee in Seattle are using upcycled plant-based materials to extract molecular compounds to create their beanless coffee. According to them, their coffee generates over 90% fewer carbon emissions and uses 94% less water than conventionally grown, real coffee.

In the next-door neighbour to Sweden, Finland, also the world’s largest coffee consumers per capita at 12 kg per person and year, the next startup is working on abolishing the bean.

Researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre are taking a slightly different route, growing coffee from cell cultures in their bioreactors. This method requires no pesticides and much less water and is expected to become approved in Europe and US within about four years.

The nutritional value of the soil and food products

While climate change might be a good excuse since it’s already at everyone’s lips, it’s not the main motivation behind these efforts. An increasing population puts an increasing demand on the food production chains, and specifically on the land that produces the food.

There are studies suggesting that you have to eat about 8 times as much of any given grown food product today than you had to 100 years ago to get the same nutritional value. This is mainly due to overproduction and the impoverishment of the soil.

Conclusion

So, while we have a problem that require drastic solutions, it’s not certain that the general public would accept the solutions. I, for one, am not craving lab-grown coffee, or any other lab-grown food product for that matter.

If you have any suggestions or thoughts about this issue, please comment below! Would you drink synthetic coffee?

2024-05-12 01:49

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