Lab-grown coffee offers whole latte innovation

In Finland, researchers at  VTT Technical Research Centre are developing a process to grow coffee in a lab as a means to reduce the environmental impact of coffee plantations. 

The process involves cultivating coffee plant cells in media in a bioreactor, then drying and roasting the resulting biomass. Taste tests confirmed the brew tasted and smelled like the real thing, which is a strong endorsement considering the Finnish, per capita, drink the most coffee in the world. 

While the researchers don’t expect to replace all coffee cultivation, they say their work could help reduce deforestation as population growth increases demand for the morning caffeine-conveying staple. 

“Conventional coffee production is notoriously associated with several problematic issues, such as unsustainable farming methods, exploitation, and land rights,” Heiko Rischer, a research team leader at the center, tells Fast Company. “Growing demand and climate change add to the problems.”