Drink Beanless Coffee To Save Our Forests? Not So Fast

A Seattle-based startup, Atomo, is aiming to replace Arabica beans in America’s coffee drinks with a more climate-friendly “beanless” alternative to combat deforestation. The company claims that relying on Arabica beans will cause coffee to disappear by 2050 and is the second biggest polluter after fossil fuels. Atomo’s beanless espresso has 83% fewer carbon emissions and will cut farmland usage by 70%.

The company’s ingredients include Date Seeds, Ramon Seeds, Lemon, Pea Protein, Fenugreek, Guava, Millet, Caffeine (from green tea), Fructose, Sunflower Seeds, and Baking Soda. Atomo claims its coffee has “the same molecular structure” as conventional coffee but wants to coexist with it. Atomo is selling its product wholesale for $20.99 per pound, which is cheaper than a typical American coffee shop pays $10-14 per pound for beans.

However, this beanless coffee approach carries many unknowns and could be problematic for Americans. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations’ 2020 Global Forest Resources Assessment report found that deforestation is decreasing in North America, including the United States, thanks to smarter forestry practices. The U.S. saw the most significant increase in land occupied by trees in urban settings between 1990 and 2020, with the largest increase in North and Central America.

Even progressive outlets like Vox have pointed out that the Earth is naturally greening, despite characterizations of a climate crisis due to carbon dioxide. Beanless coffee is a niche trend that few will embrace, and while some Americans may imbibe it, it will unlikely displace conventional coffee due to its exorbitant costs and relative unknowns.

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