Plant-powered Riff Energy+ beverage disrupts energy sector with upcycled cascara coffee fruit

07 Mar 2022 --- US-based cold-brew coffee brand Riff has unveiled a plant-based beverage made from upcycled cascara Riff Energy+, which is carbon-neutral certified under the Carbonfree product certification program Carbonfund.org, the first in the region with the distinction.

“We’re all passionate coffee lovers at Riff, but as we learned more and more about coffee’s impact on the environment related to food waste, along with the challenging conditions coffee farmers face every day, there’s no way we could remain complacent,” says Paul Evers, Riff CEO and co-founder.

“Our focus shifted quickly to developing a product that would generate a positive impact. Riff’s purpose became reducing greenhouse gas emissions, avoiding nutrient-rich food waste, and helping vulnerable coffee-growing communities,” Riff elaborates.

According to Innova Market Insights, Europe has the largest energy drinks market in the world in terms of NPD, with a 47% share, although it falls to third on 17% for sales value, indicating more potential for growth. North America was the second leading region for energy drinks launches in 2021.

Cascara promoted from waste product
Traditionally cascara is discarded as a coffee waste product, but Riff has harnessed its exotic fruit flavor profiles, naturally occurring caffeine and rich nutrient content, including high levels of antioxidants, potassium, iron and magnesium. 

High in vitamin C and powerful antioxidants, Riff Energy+ was considered carbon-neutral before this certification based on the cross-correlation of two Riff-sponsored studies conducted in 2020: a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) conducted by the University of Oregon and an Environmental Impact Study conducted by Oregon State University. 

One key finding of the Environmental Impact Study revealed that an estimated 70 billion pounds of cascara are discarded each year worldwide. Food waste represents approximately 10% of food-related global emissions, accounting for 20 to 40% of total global greenhouse gas emissions.

“Forward-thinking companies are continuing to prove that new products, such as energy drinks, can be part of the fight against climate change. Riff is taking their environmental responsibility seriously, which is an important step toward a more sustainable future for all of us,” says Eric Carlson, president of Carbonfund.org Foundation.Cascara has naturally occurring caffeine and is rich in nutrient content, including high antioxidants, potassium, iron and magnesium.  

Nestlé is also accelerating the development of products and technologies that use agricultural raw materials that would otherwise go to waste. One example is Nescafé Nativ Cascara, a carbonated soft drink based on organic cascara – the “coffee berry” fruit surrounding the bean, recently launched in Australia.

Using raw materials and side streams in products or processes creates new revenue streams for farmers and start-ups focused on developing food ingredients or packaging materials. 

Reducing carbon impact of F&B production
Energy+ is also a part of 1% For The Planet—donating 1% of revenue to forest preservation and reforestation projects in coffee-growing regions. The addition of the certified carbon neutral seal further supports Riff’s objective to bring more visibility to cascara and reduce the carbon impact of food and beverage production. 

 Since the company’s inception in 2017, Riff has grown to support a circular economy by converting waste streams into revenue streams for struggling coffee farmers. Sourced through a Portland-based importer, the company began experimenting with cascara in 2019.

After learning about the massive negative impact decomposing wasted cascara has had on the environment over the 400+ year life of the coffee industry, Riff was moved to adopt a strategy to utilize 100% of the coffee plant’s agricultural value. 

An in-depth look into the sustainability measures employed by industry players in the dairy, ingredients and flavor sectors to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reveal that pooled efforts are being undertaken to source raw materials with a reduced carbon footprint and production of plant-based products has been prioritized.

By Inga de Jong