First it was dairy-free milk, then meatless burgers. Now entrepreneurs and investors are hoping to create a market for bean-free chocolate and coffee.
Like alternative dairy and meat, the new products aspire to be better for the planet while addressing social problems related to industries that affect some of the world’s poorest communities.
Cocoa and coffee cultivation are linked to deforestation, with the clearance of wooded land reducing the planet’s stock of trees and its ability to absorb carbon dioxide. The chocolate industry has long been dogged by the use of child labour in cocoa farming, mainly in Africa, while many coffee growers struggle to make ends meet.
To read the full story in the Financial Times, please click here.
