About this episode

The episode discusses the innovative use of bioreactors to produce coffee and cocoa sustainably, featuring insights from Dr. Steven Lang of California Cultured.

Around 2 billion people enjoy chocolate and coffee every single day. But growing enough of these crops uses a huge number of resources. For example, making just one cup of coffee takes about 140 litres of water. In West Africa, an estimated 70% of illegal deforestation is linked to cocoa farming. And with demand only expected to rise, the question is: what can we do to stop the environmental impact of these crops? In this episode of Balancing the Future , Micah and Chai talk to Dr. Steven Lang, Vice President of Science and Technology at California Cultured, a US startup that makes chocolate and coffee using bioreactors. Steven explains that the team starts by taking a small sample from a plant. They then grow this sample in a bioreactor to create a plant cell culture. Because they have more control over the plant’s genetics, they can make it healthier or give it new traits. Right now, Steven’s team is working on cocoa that’s rich in flavanols, powerful compounds that act as antioxidants. California Cultured has also developed a new plastic bioreactor that could bring costs down compared to the stainless-steel systems used for cultivated meat. Steven expects that by around 2028…

Topics covered

• biotechnology
• sustainable agriculture
• coffee production
• cocoa production
• environmental impact

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