016: Plant-Powered Energy and Immunity Coffee that Tackles Food Waste with Paul Evers
Essential Ingredients Podcast
English - January 04, 2022 14:00 - 23 minutes - 18.8 MB - ★★★★★ - 127 ratingsNutrition Health & Fitness Business Entrepreneurship Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
“The cascara is the better half of what the coffee plant has to offer. We see even greater potential with cascara and the last thing that should be done is throw it to waste.” -Paul Evers
Episode Description:
Coffee is one of the most loved beverages around the world. According to data, around two billion cups of coffee are consumed every day! It’s not surprising, therefore, that it has become a multi-billion dollar industry. However, the question still arises, “Are we really utilizing 100% of coffee’s agricultural value?”
Coffee is made from coffee cherries. Yes! Coffee actually comes from a fruit. Each pulp covers two beans, sometimes one, called a peaberry. Processing starts with separating the beans from the “CASCARA”, or the pulp. The beans are then roasted, brewed, and extracted depending on how strong or mild you want your coffee to be. What happens to the pulp, you may ask? Because there is little demand, the cascara is left to ferment, converted to fertilizer or animal feed, or thrown into a landfill. Needless to say, that accounts for billions of food waste and millions of metric tons of carbon emissions.
Thankfully, more and more companies are acting to solve a significant portion of this problem. One of them is Riff. Co-founded by Paul Evers, Riff aims to impact the planet by “creating possibilities out of coffee beans and the whole dang coffee plant!” Riff created plant-based products that provide energy and immunity. Their energy+ drinks and cold brews come in fun flavors, are gluten-free, vegan-friendly, non-GMO, and ethically-sourced.
In this episode, Justine and Paul discuss how we can weave our love for coffee and our love for the planet together. They talk about a brewing problem in the coffee industry that affects consumers, farmers, and the environment. If you’re interested in investing in Riff’s mission, tune in as Paul shares how you can show your support in building a better-for-you food system.
Connect with Paul Evers:
A celebrated veteran in brand strategy, design, and advertising— Paul led the teams behind the creative development of craft beverage brands such as Humm Kombucha, 21st Amendment, Deschutes Brewery, Odell Brewing, and Crux Fermentation Project—which he co-founded, and served as President and CMO. In 2017, Paul co-founded Riff Cold Brewed Coffee along with veterans from Stumptown and LinkedIn. Paul is also a long-time active community member, having played a significant role in launching both the Bend Volunteer Corps and TEDxBend.
Connect with Justine:
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Episode Highlights:
01:54 Food Waste and the Coffee Industry
08:58 Creating Relationship Over Traditional Advertising
14:37 Solving Multiple Problems At the Same Time
18:31 Success Redefined
21:59 Cascara Foster Child