The link between coffee and climate change is well-documented. The industry has been hit with low harvests, uneven yields and uncertainty due to extreme temperatures and changing weather conditions. Coffee is among the foods with the highest greenhouse gas emissions, and increased demand is now leading to deforestation and human rights violations. One touted solution is beanless coffee.

Just like plant-based milk and cell-based meat, molecular, beanless coffee is a drink comprised of alternative ingredients, made to resemble your conventional cup of joe. With climate change a real threat to coffee – 60% of all coffee species face the threat of extinction, and 50% of all coffee-growing land may not be arable by 2100 – it makes for an intriguing innovation.

Founded in 2022 by neuroscientist Jake Berber and chemist-turned-food scientist Tan Ding Jie, Singapore-based Prefer makes bean-free ground coffee. It uses a novel fermentation process that converts food byproducts from beer, bread and tofu manufacturing into key coffee aroma molecules.

The brand says that although it has started with coffee, its fermentation technology has the potential to create more affordable and sustainable flavours. The end goal is to create alternatives to threatened natural flavours like cacao, vanilla and citrus.

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