The Promises and Perils of Lab-Grown Coffee

What Is Lab-Grown Coffee?

Lab-grown coffees are relative newcomers to the coffee industry. At their most basic, lab-grown coffees are coffees that are produced in a lab environment, rather than on a tree in a field. They are not growing full coffee trees in a lab environment but are using different methods to isolate the flavors and characteristics of coffee in a way that bypasses the need for trees.

The discussion around lab-grown coffee has sprung up around two connected concerns. First, there are some studies that suggest that much of the arable land on which coffee is currently produced will be rendered incompatible for coffee production over the next 20 to 50 years due to climate change. The fear is that there will be less land for producing coffee and, thus, less coffee. Concurrently, there’s a concern that coffee production itself is a potential contributor to climate change. From the fertilizer used in the fields to the gas used to transport coffee across continents and oceans, the coffee supply chain can pose issues for the climate. As a response to these concerns, some companies and scientists have explored lab-grown coffee as an alternative that could emit fewer greenhouse gases and rely on fewer (increasingly scarce) resources.

There are several variations of lab-grown coffee, Kristine explains. There’s molecular coffee, which uses agricultural products like date pits to mimic the main flavor compounds in coffee. Then there’s microbial coffee, which uses genetically-engineered microbes to produce those coffee flavor compounds as by-products of microbial fermentation. Finally, there’s cellular coffee, which uses real coffee cells that are grown in bioreactors. Like lab-grown meat, cellular coffee produces basic coffee cells that can be processed into a powder and treated like coffee. 

Since all these types of lab-grown coffees are grown indoors in lab environments, they can be produced in any location, regardless of weather conditions. This is a major draw both for people looking to shorten the supply chain and for those seeking coffee-growing methods that will not be impacted by a changing climate.

What are the Benefits?

“The main benefit of lab-grown coffee is price stability,” Kristine says. “Lab-grown coffee wouldn’t be impacted by things that impact traditional coffee prices such as weather.” Lab-grown coffee would also be more scalable than traditional coffee since it can be grown in lab conditions in places where coffee can’t normally be grown.

A lot of marketing for lab-grown coffee also touts the environmental benefits of production. Lab-grown coffees wouldn’t use fertilizers or need as much fuel input. Plus, lab-grown coffees could be produced in the country where they’re consumed, shortening transit from production to consumer. “They [lab-grown brands] say it’s deforestation-free, uses less water and is carbon neutral,” Kristine says. “However, there isn’t a lot of transparency or evidence, yet, to back that up.”

How Does It Taste?

Kristine has tried but has been unable to get a hold of lab-grown coffee to taste it herself.  “But, knowing what I do about how traditional coffee works, I cannot see how it can match it at all,” she says. “There are so many things that affect coffee, and it’s just so nuanced. There’s just so much flavor. I cannot imagine, given what I’ve seen of these other coffees, that they will be able to mimic it.”

Kristine thinks that, initially, at least, lab-grown coffee would be mainly used as a flavoring in drinks and food. Kristine says. “Lab-grown coffee is not developed enough yet to properly rival what you get in a cup of real coffee.” The thing she’s not sure about, Kristine says, is whether the environmental messaging would be enough to get people to overlook the quality shortfalls of lab-grown coffee.

Who Might Lose Out?

“Lab-grown coffee marketing talks about making coffee more sustainable, they don’t realize the repercussions for everyone in the current coffee supply chain. The major thing is that it would impact the livelihood of farmers. You’re talking about millions of people for whom this is 100% their livelihood,” Kristine says.

Without coffee as their main cash crop, farmers may choose to plant illicit crops or might need to sell their land. Loss of coffee would also disrupt the many migratory pickers who move with the harvest. “We’re talking about a loss of land, employment and generations of agricultural practice and care disappearing. They are the big losers if lab-grown coffee takes off,” Kristine says.

Alternatives for Farmers

Part of our responsibility as coffee consumers and traders is to support farmers in our supply chain, even as their goals and ability change. “As an industry, we do have an obligation to the farmers to ensure they get a fair price for their crop. Farmers are the big losers if lab-grown coffee takes off.” Dedicating more time and funds to education, securing the supply chain and helping farmers intercrop or transition their land to other cash crops are all essential components of a safe, sustainable supply chain.

Additionally, a safer, more sustainable supply chain could address issues like deforestation and natural resource use without eliminating coffee production altogether. “Even though coffee, in some parts of the world, intersects with deforestation, it absolutely can be an agent of reforestation and biodiversity preservation,” Kristine stresses. Agroforestry and intercropping are becoming more popular and demonstrate that coffee farms can be biodiverse environments. On top of that, we are already starting to see the application of new technologies like high-res satellite imaging to aid reforestation.

Lab-grown coffee is an interesting new technology that could significantly alter the coffee supply chain. The technology for mass-producing high-quality lab-grown coffee isn’t there yet, nor are the environmental and energy costs truly known, but lab-grown coffee could affect the lower-end of commodity coffee sales in the near future. Whether lab-grown coffee takes off as a consumer product remains to be seen, but the effects on farmers and the coffee supply chain could be extensive. It’s our responsibility as coffee consumers and professionals to consider the way lab-grown coffee can affect our supply chain partners and help mitigate the impacts it could have on livelihoods. In the meantime, we’re keeping our eyes open for new lab-grown products that could change the way we think about and experience coffee.