Business in coffee grounds: growing mushrooms

In 1994, ZERI (ZeroEmissionsResearchInitiatives, Zero Emission Research and Innovation Foundation) first used the discarded coffee pulp from the farm as a substrate to grow mushrooms for human consumption, and then used the substrate to raise animals. It took nearly 10 years of research and 20 academic papers to support the "pulp to protein" program, certifying every step of the process from farm to consumer. Today, more than 10,000 people in Colombia are engaged in mushroom production, and villagers in dozens of areas of Zimbabwe rely on these simple and sustainable methods for a living. In addition, Indian villages have adopted this technology after years of malnutrition and hunger and are finally self-sufficient in food production. In 2008 alone, farmers from Tanzania, Congo, South Africa, Cameroon, Mozambique and the United States received training in this technology.

In response, Emilio Echeverri, a former vice president of the Colombian Coffee Federation, once praised: "Coffee waste is rich in fiber and caffeine, which is the best growth medium for cultivating mushrooms." Mushrooms mature three times faster on caffeinated substrates than on oak, which also offers the possibility of conserving oak forests in China and elsewhere.

After the economic crisis in 2008, the ZERI Foundation proposed to grow mushrooms with coffee grounds. The idea was enthusiastically supported by Mrs. MakiniHassan, director of the Community Development Company (MarinCityCommunityDevelopmentCorporation) in Marin, California. After learning the details, she affirmed: "the unemployment rate in California is as high as 11%. We need to create jobs. Let's do it!"

Born in Zimbabwe, Hirogovero was an orphan who lived on a bowl of peanuts every day for many years. At the age of 12, she learned how to grow mushrooms, and in just a few months she lifted herself out of poverty and became self-sufficient. In April 2009, Hidogovero and mushroom expert Karl Mesa Haramillo came to San Francisco to demonstrate how to turn discarded coffee grounds in local coffee shops into an ideal substrate for mushroom growth. Training in applied expertise was conducted in the city of Marin, located between Sausalito and MillValley. Theodore and Carl Mesa also helped NikhilArora and AlexVelez, two top students at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, inoculate mushroom spores in the initial 500lb coffee grounds and founded BTTRVenture, a venture that generates sustainable income from sustainable applications.

"if you can succeed in both Zimbabwe and Colombia in bad conditions, you will certainly succeed here." Arora said. To that end, she gave up a lucrative consulting job to join Velez to launch the nationwide business model in the Bay area. "the wonderful thing is that the coffee grounds only come into contact with steam and boiling water, which is equal to the sterilized matrix, which can save 80% of the energy cost of preparing mushroom growth matrix."

Raw materials are free, energy demand is minimal, and product demand is huge. This means that these young entrepreneurs can offer mushrooms at below-market prices. In addition, caffeine shortens the maturation period of mushrooms and generates faster cash flow and more products than other mushroom growers. The matrix left after harvest is rich in protein and can be used as a good fertilizer or feed for chickens, goats and even bison, while in the San Francisco Bay area, which is not suitable for raising livestock, it may also be more suitable for composting in community gardens.

Then came a third opportunity. Slade Ranch is an organic farm located in Golden Gate Park on the coast of Marin County. The park already has plans to eliminate non-native invasive species, which requires a lot of time and money. If these invasive species are mixed with coffee grounds provided free of charge by the Equator Village Coffee and Tea Company (EquatorEstateCoffee&Tea) in nearby San Rafael, they become edible mushrooms.

"it takes only 8 to 10 coffee shops to create a production unit, and each unit can create about 10 jobs," says Mr Arora. " With an estimated 8 million residents in the Bay area, mushrooms are expected to become a source of protein comparable to chicken, along with good income, thousands of jobs, and cheap and high-quality food. Collecting coffee grounds alone is expected to create 50,000 jobs in the United States.

Recently, Arora and Veres were selected by Newsweek as one of the 25 outstanding entrepreneurs under the age of 25 and won second place in the BBC World Challenge (BBCWorldChallenge). The BBC World Challenge is a global competition to find grassroots start-ups and innovative projects or small businesses around the world. This business model is refreshing. Wild mushrooms in season can sell for up to $25 a pound and are not available in other seasons. The cultivation of mixed coffee grounds and invasive species with the innovative methods of Veres and Arora will soon be available year-round. In this way, it not only reduces landfills, reduces methane production, but also increases consumer awareness of sustainability, and the solution is in their own backyard.

It is not difficult to find that the world is full of interconnections. When the waste of cash crops becomes food security, creating jobs in Africa and the United States, trade boycotts can be overcome by exporting cash crops that benefit both sides. With the elimination of abuse by orphan girls as a prerequisite, food security, independence and self-sufficiency are all possible, and conditions are created for health and prosperity.

Our economy, our communities, and the planet we inhabit depend on our joint efforts to take advantage of endless innovation and evolution to realize the abundant vision of the blue economy.

(responsible Editor: Leo)

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