Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part Two—Environmental Concerns

Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part Two—Environmental Concerns

Breaking New Ground: A Sicilian Coffee Plantation, Part One

The impacts of climate change are starting to be felt in Sicily, but while they’re causing problems, the rising temperatures are also bringing new opportunities. BY JOSEPH PHELANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Featured image courtesy of Henrique Ferreira on Unsplash The Sicilian love affair with coffee is known the world over. Sicily, the largest of […]


Know Your Sweeteners: Honey: Part Two

We continue our deep dive into honey, bringing to light environmental and animal rights concerns related to the product, and how the industry is addressing them. BY EMILY JOY MENESESBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Feature photo via Unsplash This week we started our discussion of honey, uncovering how it’s produced, the differences between varieties of honey, and […]


Breaking New Ground: A Sicilian Coffee Plantation, Part One

The impacts of climate change are starting to be felt in Sicily, but while they’re causing problems, the rising temperatures are also bringing new opportunities. BY JOSEPH PHELANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Featured image courtesy of Henrique Ferreira on Unsplash The Sicilian love affair with coffee is known the world over. Sicily, the largest of […]


Study Shines New Light on the Complex Arabica Coffee Genome

Researchers in Italy say they’ve shed new light on arabica coffee’s large and complex genome, which may ultimately help breeders seeking desirable traits such as high quality and disease resistance….

Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part Two—Environmental Concerns

Joven and Atucún Join Forces to Empower Young Farmers

The two brands have collaborated to create a unique coffee bar and support young farmers in the coffee and cacao industries. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Joven Coffee  For their first-of-its-kind bar, Joven Coffee and Atucún Chocolateria combined coffee beans, extracted cocoa butter, and organic cane sugar. Committed to supporting young farmers […]


The Origin Story of Turtle Island Coffee in Vancouver, B.C.

A new Indigenous-owned coffee company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, called Turtle Island Coffee has launched with the goal of exposing more people to high quality specialty coffee and Indigenous…


Cup of Excellence to Offer El Salvador Immersion Program

The immersion experience will allow participants to grow their knowledge on Salvadoran culture and coffee varieties. BY J. MARIE CARLANBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of Cup of Excellence Cup of Excellence is launching a new learning opportunity in 2024: the Origin Immersion Program, to be held in El Salvador from February 26 to March 5. […]


5 Cool Cafés Worth a Try in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, one of Thailand’s most fascinating cities, is home to a vibrant specialty-coffee scene, with many cafés and roasteriess often offering locally grown coffee. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Tim Durgan via Unsplash With a population of 3 million, Chiang Mai is a little (by Asian standards) gem in northern […]

Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part Two—Environmental Concerns

Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part Two—Environmental Concerns

minimum dose size?

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part Two—Environmental Concerns

BY EMILY JOY MENESES
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

In recent years, you may have noticed an increase in demand for “alternative sweeteners” like agave. While today, the nectar serves as a go-to for vegans and the health-conscious, agave has been an integral part of indigenous American traditions for hundreds of years—something that we shed light on in part one of this article. Today, in part two, we’re diving into the environmental discussions surrounding the ingredient, with the hopes of uncovering whether the rise in demand is sustainable or not.

Close up of agave plants in the ground.
Is agave a sustainable sweetener? We dig a little deeper to find out. Photo sourced via Pixabay.

Beyond the Surface

Today, many consumers tout agave as an “environmentally friendly” ingredient, pointing to the fact that the plant requires little watering. Many also cite it as a “harm-free” sweetener compared to honey, as no animals are involved in its production. However, a closer look shows that there are some concerns when it comes to agave farming.

One of the most important things to consider is over-harvesting: It takes several years for agave plants to mature, and harvesting too many too quickly to meet consumer demands can cause a threat to the plant’s long-term viability. To keep up with the market, many farmers have turned to faster-growing varieties, but this may eventually lead to a “monoculture” of agave—a threat to biodiversity.

While it’s true that agave is a drought-friendly plant, these other points are important to consider when discussing the sustainability of the agave industry.

A donkey in a blanket drinks water at an agave farm.
Requiring little water, agave is often thought of as a sustainable plant—but over-harvesting is an issue to be conscious of. Photo by Alice Kotlyarenko via Unsplash.

Responding to Concerns—Sustainable Farming Methods

Amidst environmental concerns, sustainability-minded agave farmers are responding in a variety of ways. Some regenerative agricultural practices include crop rotation, cover cropping, and minimal tillage, all of which help promote soil health, preserve biodiversity, and enhance the resilience of agave crops. Farmers are also increasingly turning to circular agricultural practices, often using recycled water to nourish their plants.

This article by Annelise Jolley cites how brands like the cooperatively owned mezcal company Banhez are combating deforestation in the agave industry by paying farmers to leave portions of their fields unharvested, helping to prevent over-harvesting.

By better understanding the agave plant’s natural life cycle and incentivizing sustainable farming methods, agave producers can continue to cultivate agave while preserving ecological balance in the surrounding environment.

Agave leaves and a bottle of clear liquid and shot glass.
As consumers, we can be more environmentally conscious by staying educated on the ingredients we choose to purchase. Photo by Getty Images via Unsplash.

What We Can Do

As consumers and business owners, we can choose to prioritize organic and fair-trade products, while staying educated on the environmental pros and cons of each ingredient we choose to work with. While there’s no “right” answer, using our ingredients with awareness is a positive step toward creating a more environmentally conscious industry.

In future installments of “Know Your Sweeteners” we’ll discuss other sweetener options and dive into their unique flavor profiles, health benefits, and environmental effects. Stay tuned for more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Joy Meneses (she/they) is a writer and musician based in Los Angeles. Her hobbies include foraging, cortados, vintage synths, and connecting with her Filipino roots through music, art, food, and beverage.

Subscribe and More!

December 2023 + January 2024 Issue cover

Out now: It’s the December 2023 + January 2024 issue! Read it for free with our digital edition. And for more than three years’ worth of issues, visit our digital edition archives here.

You can order a hard copy of the magazine through our online store here, or start a subscription for one year or two.

The post Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part Two—Environmental Concerns appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

Shopping cart0
There are no products in the cart!
Continue shopping
0