Bean-free is real one
ㆍClimate Change is extinction of coffee tree until 2080 from TCI
ㆍFood upcycling technology is less carbon footprint, to save our planet and food
ㆍPrefer’s vision is Sustainable food culture with food upcycling technology.
Are you a coffee person? You’ve heard the bad news from The Climate Institute (TCI). They reported in 2016 that if no action is taken against climate change, most wild coffee species will be extinct by 2080. Sipping a black coffee in the morning, it’s no longer a given. The climate crisis may feel like a macro-level issue, but this is a crisis that hits close to home.
Prefer heads to make a solution for the climate crisis using food upcycling technology. Nowadays, the co-founders are focused on bean-free coffee as one of the solutions. But they’re dreaming of a macro-level solution, a sustainable food supply chain. But bean-free coffee is a brilliant idea.
Jake Berber and Tan Ding Jie met in 2022 at the accelerator Entrepreneur First. They knew that they were both interested in solving the climate change problem. So why did they choose coffee as their first product? “Coffee is both threatened by and contributing to climate change, while demand is rising. Therefore, coffee became our initial focus: a delicious and threatened flavor profile ripe for reinvention with a sustainable approach,” Jake said.
Coffee has complex aspects across various dimensions. First, the taste of coffee has a diverse range of flavors. Coffee enthusiasts seek out specialty coffee beans and enjoy coffee through various extraction methods. For those sensitive to taste and aroma, professional tasters rigorously conduct taste tests.
Coffee flavor is a complex symphony of aromatic compounds. While fermenting old bread, soy pulp, and barley grains might not sound like traditional coffee brewing, it unlocks a treasure trove of these aromatic compounds, creating a coffee-like flavor profile,” Jake also said. “Our primary focus is replicating the experience of coffee. Through rigorous research and taste testing, we’ve developed a fermentation process that unlocks those coveted coffee notes. The best way is to try it and see for yourself.
On how to make bean-free coffee, Jake explained their process on the technology side: “Prefer has developed a platform fermentation technology that creates flavors. We have proprietary combinations of food waste feedstock and non-GMO microbes, as well as proprietary fermentation and downstream processes, and our end product is bean-free coffee.”
Finally, Prefer launched Coffee Ground 2.0 in February 2024. You can choose sustainable coffee. This bean-free coffee is designed with careful consideration down to the details. It has caffeinated and decaf options. We also design caffeine levels for B2B customers. Otherwise, it’s good for the climate to reduce CO2. “Coffee Ground 2.0 requires about 10 times less CO2 than traditional coffee beans according to our internal estimation. It’s a step before getting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) done.”
This sustainable option when you drink coffee is the first step for people. The coffee industry should find a way to survive in the climate change era. Prefer is an amazing option among several food upcycling products. “The coffee industry certainly faces challenges from climate change, but that’s precisely where Prefer steps in. We’re not just a delicious coffee alternative; we’re a proactive force ensuring a sustainable future for this beloved beverage,” Jake said. It’s one step, but a big stride. I hope we can drink nice bean-free coffee everywhere, every time.
George Orwell wrote <1984>. In this story, Winston drinks “Victory Coffee”, which is not real coffee, just a fake bad taste. You can make the future by choosing to drink Prefer’s bean-free coffee. It’s the real one, the next coffee.
