Coffee start-up to introduce countertop roaster that reduces emissions by cutting down supply chain

28-Jun-2023 - Last updated on 28-Jun-2023 at 15:16 GMT

ansā aims to shorten the coffee supply chain to reduce carbon emissions. Image Source: ansā

Related tags Coffee Green coffee bean Sustainability Transport

Startup ansā is releasing a countertop coffee roaster that allows consumers to roast their coffee themselves. The company, whose name means ‘the answer’ in Japanese, aims to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the supply chain of the coffee beans from crop to cup and sending beans directly to the consumer.

Traditionally, coffee begins its long voyage as a crop in South or Central America, Africa, or parts of Asia. It is then shipped to an industrial plant to be roasted, and taken on a second international journey to be packaged up by retailers.

Irreal-based ansā, in designing its product, wanted to cut down on these journeys, which emit greenhouse gasses and harm the environment, as well as potentially degrading the quality of the coffee.

“A coffee bean may find itself crisscrossing the globe two or three times before it reaches the consumers’ mug, which exacts a huge carbon footprint,” explained ansā co-founder and CMO Matan Scharf. “During this time, the quality degrades, and distinctive aromas and flavours are lost.”

Instead, ansā cuts out the middleman and delivers its coffee beans straight from the coffee farm to the consumer in their raw green form, to be roasted in its machine. The machine then uses computer vision algorithms to ensure that the right amount of energy is applied for a homogenous roast.

For farmers and environment

Single-origin coffee isn’t always considered sustainable, but, Matan Scharf told FoodNavigator, ansā ensures that their beans are sustainably sourced.

“At ansā, we are dedicated to promoting sustainability through shortening the coffee supply chain,” he told us.

ansa Variety e23 micro-roaster — ansā’s variety e-23 micro-roaster. Image Source: ansā

“Our single-origin approach allows us to establish direct relationships with farmers, and point-to-point trade routes, supporting local economies. Using single-origin coffee beans for hyper-local roasting not only boosts the coffee tasting experience but it also contributes to a substantial reduction in transportation mileage and carbon footprint.

“Unlike sourcing coffee beans from multiple global regions, this focused approach substantially cuts their transportation needs, decreasing the environmental impact associated with coffee production.”

The method of sourcing the beans benefits coffee farmers as well, he claimed.

“We exclusively source specialty graded green coffee beans directly from our coffee growers,” he told us.

“By eliminating the intermediates and focusing on Specialty graded coffee, we ensure that our growers enjoy the full price markup associated with specialty-graded coffee.

“From shrub to cup, we give a voice and a face to the coffee producers by offering full transparency and traceability.

“We work with producers in origin countries that dictate rules and regulations pertaining to labour, growing practices, and such. In addition, we travel to the origin countries several times a year to show our support and conduct various quality assurance checks.”

The company is not yet selling in Europe, but plans to expand to this market. Europe is a ‘key market’, it said.