OAKOFFEE
The Oakoffee project aims to exploit the acorns of cork oak forests, endemic to the Mediterranean region of the Iberian Peninsula, for the production of coffee substitutes. Cork oak forests are important repositories of biodiversity and barriers to the onset of climate change, due to their high capacity for carbon sequestration, accumulation of organic matter and water in the soil, resistance to forest fires (huge emitters of CO2), and other factors.
Valuing acorns as a sustainable food with a low environmental footprint will allow more efficient management of cork oak forests, bringing economic and social benefits to the people living in these regions. However, it requires the development of innovative logistical, technical and marketing solutions, which can be achieved through a consortium between LandraTech, a technology-based company working on the valorisation of acorns from our endemic forests, and CATAA, a technology centre supporting the agri-food industry.
The project will make it possible to optimise the processing of acorns into soluble coffee substitutes on a pilot/semi-industrial scale, with a view to developing soluble and/or encapsulated coffee substitutes, selecting highly efficient technologies with reduced environmental impact.
Funding: "la Caixa" Foundation & FCT
Type of Funding: PROMOVE 2024 - Innovative Pilot Projects
Application Code: PL24-00153
Project Title: Acorn Coffee Substitutes: Sustainable Bioeconomy for the Dynamisation of the Cork Oak Forest (Oakoffee)
Duration: 36 meses
Start: 01 August 2024
End: 31 July 2027
Coordination: LandraTech
Consortium: LandraTech and CATAA - Centro de Apoio Tecnológico Agroalimentar
Partners: Cafés Negrita, SEBOL, ITS and BlendHub
Status: Ongoing