So, why coffee?

Biota exists to save the future of coffee.

Humans consume over two billion cups of coffee daily to kickstart brain function, improve productivity, and keep society from imploding. Unfortunately, each cup of joe emits more than 15 times its weight in greenhouse gasses, guzzles 140 times its volume in water, and strips the soil of its vitality.
By 2050, rising temperatures, increasing droughts, and plant disease outbreaks will cut the amount of land suitable for growing coffee in half and threaten 60 percent of coffee species. While a world without a morning espresso sounds terrifying, this shock will be felt the most by the 25 million smallholders who grow 80 percent of the coffee we depend on to thrive.
Our hypothesis is simple: better coffee starts from the ground up. Healthier soil leads to a more nutrient-dense crop, which yields a more flavorful cup of green caffeine to start your day.
Working in harmony with nature instead of against it, we offer coffee that tastes better for you and does better for the farmer and the planet.
Humans consume over two billion cups of coffee daily to kickstart brain function, improve productivity, and keep society from imploding. Unfortunately, each cup of joe emits more than 15 times its weight in greenhouse gasses, guzzles 140 times its volume in water, and strips the soil of its vitality.
Photo collage of a coffee drinker in the coffee fields
By 2050, rising temperatures, increasing droughts, and plant disease outbreaks will cut the amount of land suitable for growing coffee in half and threaten 60 percent of coffee species. While a world without a morning espresso sounds terrifying, this shock will be felt the most by the 25 million smallholders who grow 80 percent of the coffee we depend on to thrive.
Ominous volcano letting out smoke in Guatemala
Our hypothesis is simple: better coffee starts from the ground up. Healthier soil leads to a more nutrient-dense crop, which yields a more flavorful cup of green caffeine to start your day.
Our farm partner and us looking at the rich soil in his coffee field
Working in harmony with nature instead of against it, we offer coffee that tastes better for you and does better for the farmer and the planet.
Person standing at the top of a mountain overlooking the clouds

Biota exists to save the future of coffee.

Humans consume over two billion cups of coffee daily to kickstart brain function, improve productivity, and keep society from imploding. Unfortunately, each cup of joe emits more than 15 times its weight in greenhouse gasses, guzzles 140 times its volume in water, and strips the soil of its vitality.
Photo collage of a coffee drinker in the coffee fields
By 2050, rising temperatures, increasing droughts, and plant disease outbreaks will cut the amount of land suitable for growing coffee in half and threaten 60 percent of coffee species. While a world without a morning espresso sounds terrifying, this shock will be felt the most by the 25 million smallholders who grow 80 percent of the coffee we depend on to thrive.
Ominous volcano letting out smoke in Guatemala
Our hypothesis is simple: better coffee starts from the ground up. Healthier soil leads to a more nutrient-dense crop, which yields a more flavorful cup of green caffeine to start your day.
Our farm partner and us looking at the rich soil in his coffee field
Working in harmony with nature instead of against it, we offer coffee that tastes better for you and does better for the farmer and the planet.
Person standing at the top of a mountain overlooking the clouds

Us vs. the status quo

Shade

In recent decades, Latin American coffee farms have been devastated by roya (rust). This fungal disease attacks the leaves of coffee plants, coating them in an orangey powder that prevents photosynthesis.

 

On sun-grown coffee farms, plants are spaced close together, making it easy for roya fungal spores to spread from one plant to the next. Ironically, the use of fungicides to combat roya kills the same beneficial species, including white halo fungus, which naturally attacks the roya fungus.

 

But we, and many ecologists, think there is a better solution - one that starts with shade. A core pillar of Biota’s playbook is planting native tree species to control pests and diseases while maintaining the complex ecological relationships between plants, fungi, insects, and wildlife.

Diversity

Conventional coffee farms clear native flora and fauna to make room for tight rows of plants sowed and harvested continuously without leaving time for the soil to rest. 

 

In contrast, Biota grows coffee the way nature intended. Beyond reintegrating native tree species, our technical team helps farmers intercrop coffee plants with beneficial flowers and legumes that naturally fix atmospheric nitrogen (a key nutrient for plant health) and attract pollinators like bees and birds. 

 

We envision a future where our farmer network is able to transition from extractive coffee monocultures to biodynamic systems with diverse income streams from multiple crops, including cacao, tea, rubber, and vanilla.

Diet

On a conventional coffee farm, approximately 250 pounds of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides are applied to every acre. While these products manage pests and diseases in the short term, they destroy the beneficial microbial communities that thrive in healthy soil.
 

Rather than feed plants processed “junk food,” Biota helps farmers better understand the nutrients and minerals their dirt craves and tailor natural diets that meet its needs.

Circularity

We believe in full crop utilization, which means educating farmers on how to make the most of the coffee plants they don’t sell. For example, incorporating discarded coffee cherry husks into bokashi and vermicompost is an easy way to enrich the soil and reduce the reliance on chemical fertilizers.

Shade

In recent decades, Latin American coffee farms have been devastated by roya (rust). This fungal disease attacks the leaves of coffee plants, coating them in an orangey powder that prevents photosynthesis.

 

On sun-grown coffee farms, plants are spaced close together, making it easy for roya fungal spores to spread from one plant to the next. Ironically, the use of fungicides to combat roya kills the same beneficial species, including white halo fungus, which naturally attacks the roya fungus.

 

But we, and many ecologists, think there is a better solution - one that starts with shade. A core pillar of Biota’s playbook is planting native tree species to control pests and diseases while maintaining the complex ecological relationships between plants, fungi, insects, and wildlife.

Diversity

Conventional coffee farms clear native flora and fauna to make room for tight rows of plants sowed and harvested continuously without leaving time for the soil to rest. 

 

In contrast, Biota grows coffee the way nature intended. Beyond reintegrating native tree species, our technical team helps farmers intercrop coffee plants with beneficial flowers and legumes that naturally fix atmospheric nitrogen (a key nutrient for plant health) and attract pollinators like bees and birds. 

 

We envision a future where our farmer network is able to transition from extractive coffee monocultures to biodynamic systems with diverse income streams from multiple crops, including cacao, tea, rubber, and vanilla.

Diet

On a conventional coffee farm, approximately 250 pounds of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides are applied to every acre. While these products manage pests and diseases in the short term, they destroy the beneficial microbial communities that thrive in healthy soil.
 

Rather than feed plants processed “junk food,” Biota helps farmers better understand the nutrients and minerals their dirt craves and tailor natural diets that meet its needs.

Circularity

We believe in full crop utilization, which means educating farmers on how to make the most of the coffee plants they don’t sell. For example, incorporating discarded coffee cherry husks into bokashi and vermicompost is an easy way to enrich the soil and reduce the reliance on chemical fertilizers.

Our theory of change

Establish long-term partnerships with farmers that reward and support their transition towards more sustainable practices. 

Coordinate with in-country technicians to help growers integrate regenerative techniques that unlock ecological and economic benefits.

Document changes in soil organic matter, microbial biodiversity, plant health, yields, expenses, and cup quality.

Open-source our insights with the world to empower the next generation of green energy farmers and consumers.

Our farm partner and us looking at the rich soil in his coffee field

Ready to try coffee the way nature intended?

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