NEW PRODUCT / SOLUTION
Innovative animal nutrition
APPLICATION SECTOR
Animal feed
VALORIZED OUTPUT
Spent coffee grounds
TRL
Deploy
CONTEXT
Global
SDG
VALUE CHAIN AREA
Spent coffee grounds hold valuable potential and can be used – after the government’s approval in terms of waste vs by-product – in animal nutrition. They can serve as direct feed for livestock or be repurposed as nourishment for larvae, which undergo rapid growth and metamorphose into protein-rich “bars” suitable for animal consumption. Remarkably, adopting the former utilization has shown promising environmental benefits, notably reducing enteric methane emissions by up to 20% in dairy sheep1. This innovative approach not only maximizes resource efficiency but also contributes to sustainable agricultural practices.
DESCRIPTION
IMPACTS
In order to replicate this good practice, be aware of the waste vs by-products regulations that are different in every country.
Spent coffee grounds can have effects on the digestibility and can contain a residual caffeine content if not processed adequately, and they can have an inconsistent nutrient profile leading to not achieving the animal dietary requirements.
Moreover, spent coffee grounds may contain traces of chemicals or contaminants from the coffee production process, which could pose health risks to animals if present in high concentrations.
CHALLENGES AND LIMITS
EXAMPLES OF APPLICATION
Entocycle
UK, 2015
(https://www.entocycle.com)
1AZTI
Life Ecoffeed
Spain and France, 2019