What is Lupin?

Lupin is a flowering plant that grows well in places like Europe and Australia. Its seeds are full of protein and fiber, and they can be roasted to make a warm drink, kind of like coffee. Lupin drinks don’t have caffeine, which is great for people who want to cut down on it.

Why Lupin is Good for the Planet

1. It helps the soil.
   Lupin is part of the legume family (like beans and peas). It pulls nitrogen from the air and puts it into the soil, helping other plants grow. That means farmers don’t need to use as much chemical fertilizer.
2. It doesn’t need much water.
   Unlike coffee, which uses a lot of water (about 140 liters for just one cup!), lupin grows with very little.
3. It grows close to home.
   Coffee is mostly grown in tropical areas, which are far away for people in Europe or North America. Shipping coffee across the world adds to pollution. Lupin can be grown nearby, which cuts down on transport emissions.
4. It avoids deforestation.
   Some coffee farms are made by cutting down forests, which harms animals and plants. Lupin can grow in open fields without destroying forests.

How Coffee Affects the Environment

Coffee might taste great, but growing it can cause problems:

• It often uses lots of water, fertilizers, and pesticides.
• Coffee farms sometimes replace forests, which leads to loss of trees and wildlife.
• It needs to be processed, roasted, and shipped long distances, which creates pollution.

So, Is Lupin Always the Better Choice?

Not always. There are a few things to keep in mind:

• We don’t have a full study comparing lupin drinks to coffee from start to finish (called a "life cycle assessment").
• If lupin is grown poorly or shipped long distances, its benefits could shrink.
• Roasting, packaging, and processing lupin still use energy, just like coffee.

So while lupin can be much better for the planet, it depends on how it's grown, made, and delivered.

What We Can Say for Sure

Lupin shows a lot of promise as a more eco-friendly drink. It helps the soil, needs little water, and can be grown close to home. Compared to traditional coffee, it has fewer negative effects on land, water, and climate. But to be fully sure, we need more research that compares lupin and coffee side-by-side.

Still, if you’re looking for a tasty, caffeine-free way to cut your carbon footprint, roasted lupin might just be your new favorite drink.

Sources Used:

• Life Cycle Assessment of Coffee (Bockel & Schiettecatte, 2018)
• EU Reports on Legumes and Crop Rotation (Legumes Translated, 2020)
• Studies on Lupin's Soil and Fertilizer Benefits
• Research on Coffee's Water and Carbon Footprint
• Australian and European Lupin Agriculture Data