The consequences of climate change seem to have no limits. Another aspect of our lives that faces a threat from this menace is coffee production. Rising temperatures are making it hard for coffee production to thrive.
Thus, there are more pressing issues than finding the right coffee flavor or the proper machine to blend or brew your coffee. If you are concerned about coffee machines, you can check SuomiArvostelut, an online reviews platform that gathers customer experiences and company information on such establishments, such as the online retailer, Hobby Hall.
But in Finland, a group of scientists has come up with a lab-grown variant that may weaken the impact of climate change in the sector.
We have seen species of living organisms being cultured in the lab. Thus, scientists in Finland have recently experimented with cultivating coffee plant-based cells in bioreactors. And the results thus far, have been more than encouraging.
The process
The Finnish scientists cultured coffee plant cells in the lab before they were transferred into bioreactors which contained essential nutrients for further growth. The product was collected and after undergoing a series of tests to determine its constitution, was roasted in the normal way naturally-grown coffee is done.
This synthetic coffee was brewed and it was discovered that the taste was not so different from conventional coffee. The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the institution carrying out this landmark research, has predicted that it could take up to four years for mass production of this synthetic coffee to take place while also seeking all the needed approval and support in Europe and the United States.
And it was revealed that bioreactors that can handle such plant-based cultures of approximately 100,000 liters are already available to aid mass production. This breakthrough has the potential to change the narrative in the coffee industry if all goes as planned.
The possible advantages of Synthetic Coffee
This biologically engineered coffee can positively affect the industry in many ways. Below are some of them.
1. Deforestation
High demand for a commodity means suppliers need to up their game to meet up. This is typically what is happening in the coffee industry. Increased demand for the product from rich countries like the United States is resulting in loss of forest vegetation in coffee-producing countries like Vietnam. As demand increases, there is a need for more viable land to farm. And ironically, deforestation will only speed up the rate of climate change.
Thus if synthetic coffee does see the light of day, it will significantly lift off the burden on such countries caused by too much demand.
2. Reducing the Impact of Climate Change
Increasing temperatures are reducing the availability of viable land suitable for coffee production. This is because coffee needs a specific range of climatic conditions to thrive well. Mass production of synthetic coffee will significantly reduce the damage that increased temperature may cause.
3. Reduce the Rate of Demand
It has been predicted that by 2050 the demand for coffee would be double the present figure. And with the impact of climate change, scarcity and high cost may likely become the order of the day. This makes synthetic coffee a welcome development.
Conclusion
Although there is still a long way to go in making this breakthrough work effectively, the potentials are clear for all to see. And as rising temperatures threaten to upset the balance it is hoped that coffee lovers won’t be starved of their constant brew in the nearest future, which all the more makes this synthetic approach a timely development.
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