STiR coffee and tea magazine

STiR coffee and tea 13 Angola's Coffee Industry Revival Roadmap Angola is pursuing an integrated approach to revive its collapsed but promising coffee industry. The plan involves a mix of government and private financing and new agriculture-focused policy strategies. The coffee sector revival program is led by the National Coffee Institute of Angola (INCA). INCA has already enacted several measures to revamp coffee output, including upgrading existing farms, investing in the modernization of coffee processing facilities, and distributing and planting modern arabica and robusta coffee varieties in at least three of the country's ten main coffee-growing provinces. A notable project under the coffee sector revival plan launched in 2023. The 'Mukafe' project is among the first to benefit from the 2021 government-ap- proved private investment law, which paved the way for introducing a contractual system for all private sector investments in any sector of economy, thus reducing the bureaucracies and delays identified by investors as detrimental to the success of startups in Angola. Furthermore, the Association of Industry of Angola (AIA), one of the leading government entities in revitalizing the coffee industry, has recently unveiled the Federation for Relaunch of Robusta Coffee (Recafe). Coffee growers and cooperatives that join the Federation will have access to a credit facility from the National Bank of Angola. In early 2024, the Angolan government dedicated AOA 10 billion ($12 million) to support a coffee production plan to produce 12,360 tons by the end of 2024. The government is also working with the private sector to provide at least 40 million coffee seedlings annually and rehabilitate and upgrade 20,000 hectares of farms under coffee annually. By Shem Oirere Cellular Agriculture Redefines the Future of Coffee Climate change is taking a massive toll on global coffee cultivation. According to FAO, 140 liters of water is required to grow, process, and transport enough beans for a single cup of coffee. Moreover, coffee production poses environmental challenges like biodiversity loss, deforestation, water pollution, agrochemical use, and waste generation. In such times, cellular agriculture is a promising sustainable alternative to produce coffee. Cellular agriculture has made great strides in addressing the planet's challenges, with path-breaking solutions potentially changing the course of human history. One such company successfully leveraging the power of cellular agriculture to produce high-quality coffee and offering sustainable alternatives for coffee production is coffeesai. "Our parent company, Pluri, has developed this patented and validated 3D cell expansion technology for over two decades," shares Ami Herman, CEO of coffeesai. "Originally developed for other applications, it has proven to be extremely efficient when it comes to serving cell-based coffee production needs." Coffeesai uses plant leaves to efficiently produce coffee equivalent to 1,000 trees in just three weeks from a single cell batch. The resulting coffee delivers both quality and taste while substantially reducing its environmental footprint. Pluri confirms that producing coffee using their proprietary technology is projected to reduce water consumption by a whopping 98%. "Cells from coffee plants are cultivated… in a bioreactor that mimics the original agricultural conditions within the plantations," explains Ami. "When the cells reach a certain volume, they are removed from the bioreactor for drying, roasting, and brewing. The process is fully controlled and free of pesticides and fertilizers." But does the absence of natural environmental factors during the coffee's gestation from blossom to fruit affect the flavor profile? The coffeesai bioreactors mimic the cell source's natural conditions using just the leaves and don't need the whole plant for the process. The cutting-edge biotechnology at the core of coffeesai delivers sustainable coffee that offers great taste and quality. "Harnessing advanced cellular agriculture technology to create new coffee experiences is our mission," shares Ami. "The aim is not to replace existing coffee growers but rather to introduce a new method of production so everyone can benefit from it." By Bhavi Patel Patented sustainable cellular agricultural technology from coffeesai now produces flavorful and aromatic coffee beans. Photo credit coffeesai Workers drying coffee cherries on raised beds in Angola. Photo credit: Companhia de Café de Angola Coffee Report

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