Heirloom Coffee Roasters in partnership with CEC and Bellwether launches Regenerative Coffee Research Lab
November 12 - 2023
Coffee Geography Magazine
Heirloom Coffee Roasters, in partnership with the California Energy Commission and Bellwether Coffee, officially opened the Heirloom Regenerative Coffee Research Lab to catapult the research and development of regenerative coffee with 100% electric Bellwether roasters.
The lab will reduce the carbon footprint of coffee roasting by 92% based on California's electricity mix—reducing the annual carbon emissions of roasting by 517 metric tons.
In attendance at the grand opening were:
• David Hochschild, Chair of the California Energy Commission
• Christian Daly, California Treasury
• Kevin Jenkins, City Council of Oakland
Bellwether Coffee, a technology company advancing electric coffee roasting to deliver carbon free coffee roasting, has joined a partnership agreement with Red Bay Coffee Roasters and Heirloom Coffee last July for a new $1.879MM grant from California Energy Commission's (CEC).
Food Production and Investment program that aims to accelerate the adoption of advanced energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies to help industries work towards a low-carbon future. With support from the CEC, these retailers has now installed 24 state-of-the-art Bellwether Roasters at their locations to shift their gas-powered roasters to electric to reduce CO2 emissions by two million pounds annually. New Grant from CEC Supports Oakland Coffee Retailers in Purchasing Bellwether Roasters to Reduce Carbon Footprint by 2MM Pounds Annually.
Traditional coffee roasting accounts for 15% of the carbon footprint of the industry, and the U.S. alone produces over 8 billion pounds of coffee per year. Electric roasting is a ground-breaking alternative to gas powered roasting that improves sustainability by significantly reducing the carbon footprint. The Bellwether system is simple to install and operate to ensure anyone can source and roast the highest quality, most sustainable coffee at the touch of a button. As an added benefit, no gas lines, vents, construction, or training are required to set it up and start roasting.
Hovik Azadkhanian, CEO at Heirloom Coffee.
"Heirloom Coffee has made it our mission to source and produce the most environmentally sustainable, regeneratively farmed coffee on the market – and Bellwether's technology is the key to expanding this mission beyond our brand," said Hovik Azadkhanian, CEO at Heirloom Coffee. "As a high-volume roaster, Bellwether's electric roasters will allow us to exponentially reduce our carbon footprint – without compromising on the quality and taste of our culinary roast coffee."