Climate-Centric Coffee Part II
Climate-Centric Coffee Part II
The Regenerative Coffee (46th) Edition of the Negative Foods Newsletter
In last week’s edition we covered venture-backed startups making coffee without coffee beans. I hope those entrepreneurs succeed, and that their market share gains motivate Big Coffee to leap from the burning platforms on which they currently stand.
Long-time readers know of my passion for branded foods that help reverse climate change by sourcing from farms engaged in regenerative agricultural practices.
I was therefore pleased to get feedback - within minutes of last week’s newsletter - suggesting that I take a look at Biota Coffee (thank you Connie Bowen and Kevin Silverman!). I’m a bit embarrassed that I hadn’t known more about Biota, particularly because I’m friends with its co-founder Parker Hughes. Parker hails from the terrific investor ReGen Ventures, which recently closed its $50M first fund to “partner with visionary teams that are redesigning the global economy to actively restore climate, planetary and human health.” [note that Parker operates Biota on nights & weekends, and Biota has no financial connection to ReGen Ventures]
Parker has strong feelings about the current state of the coffee industry:
Across the globe, humanity consumes 2.25 billion cups of coffee daily, each of which generates 15x its weight in CO2e and consumes 140x its volume in water - making it the 5th most climate-warming crop. Today's dominant, extractive model of coffee production maximizes yields by thinning native flora, planting coffee in tight rows, and applying chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.
Biota has a simple and powerful plan to respond to these challenges:
1. Establish long-term partnerships with farmers to support their transition towards more sustainable practices.
2. Coordinate with in-country technicians to help our growers integrate regenerative methods that unlock ecological and economic benefits.
3. Document changes in soil organic matter, microbial biodiversity, plant health, yields & revenues, expenses, and cup quality.
4. Share our insights with the world to empower the next generation of regenerative coffee farmers and consumers.
This is an opportunity to make a big impact. As Parker told me earlier this week, “One espresso shot contains an average carbon footprint of about 0.28 kg, but it could be as little as 0.06 kg if grown sustainably. By changing how coffee is grown, transported, and consumed, we can slash the crop’s carbon footprint by up to 77%.”
Biota is committed to finding cost-effective tools for supply chain transparency. You can learn more about their coffee producers and practices here. You can learn more in Kevin Silverman’s terrific December 2021 article on the current and future coffee industry.
I’ve placed my first order and look forward to enjoying this delicious coffee (yes, I know it will be good), to becoming a loyal customer, and to doing everything I can to help Parker and his colleagues scale their business successfully.
Readers of this newsletter can use the code BIOTA20 for 20% off their first orders (with no compensation or benefits provided to me or this newsletter).
For Your Consideration:
More nutritional benefits found in regenerative agriculture crops
Futura Coffee Advances Regenerative Agriculture in Portland, Oregon
Guinness launches regenerative agriculture pilot in Ireland
Regenerative agriculture approach paying off for veg growing operation
Regenerative farming practices takes farmer from near ruin to success
A New California Law Will Create a Lot More Compost—but Will it Make it to Farmland?
PepsiCo more than doubles revenue growth with framework prioritizing sustainability
Boise State hosting two-day Carbon Summit, Gabe Brown to speak
Soil health scientist says regenerative farming is the model of the future
Soil health and nutrient density: preliminary comparison of regenerative and conventional farming
In-depth Q&A: The IPCC’s sixth assessment on how climate change impacts the world
The views in this newsletter belong solely to Paul Lightfoot (and not to BrightFarms or other organizations). This newsletter accepts no advertising. Learn more about this newsletter at https://paullightfoot.substack.com/about.