Food technology companies and startups working on coffee alternatives can offer a cheaper version of the drink, writes Food Dive.“Today, for the first time, we can create a product that is more affordable and more sustainable than coffee, using modern advanced fermentation technologies,” said Jake Barber, co-founder of Prefer, a Singapore-based startup that converts food waste into ground coffee without beans.Founded in 2022, Prefer makes coffee from food products, including soybean meal and ground rice.
The company’s coffee-free coffee is currently available in several dozen outlets in Singapore, and by the end of the year, their number should reach 100. However, the coffee-free substitute is not a full-fledged replacement and is intended to be used in addition to regular coffee. To achieve the same beloved morning coffee taste, you can add just 40% of the Prefer substitute. You can also add caffeine to the drink.“Caffeine for us is just an ingredient that we can easily get from things like green tea,” said Berber, adding that he plans to expand the Prefer range to include other flavors that are threatened by climate change, such as cocoa, vanilla and citrus.It is predicted that by 2050, half of the world’s coffee plantations could disappear, and at least 60% of wild coffee species, including Arabica, are at risk of extinction in the wild due to deforestation and disease.However, researchers in the field believe that the drink can remain accessible with the right innovation and investment.World Coffee Research works with coffee growers around the world to breed high-quality, disease-resistant and high-yielding coffee varieties. In 2024, the group received $10 million in investment from its global member companies for agricultural research and development to increase yields and reduce environmental impact.
Source: https://agroportal.ua/news/mir/visoki-cini-na-kavu-stimulyuyut-rozvitok-alternativnih-napojiv
