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More than 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide every day. However, only part of the cherry (i.e. the dried fruits) of the coffee plant is used to produce the drink. For this reason the three Illy sisters, Andrea Dominique, Jaqueline and Micaela – who grew up with the words of their grandfather Ernesto «Research as love for the world» – founded the startup Amarey which is dedicated to the development of functional products and ingredients, such as oil, Arabica butter, powder and flavour, all made from 100% regenerated Arabica coffee for the nutraceutical, cosmetic and fragrance sectors, whilst promoting circular economy principles.
In collaboration with the University of Coffee – the center of excellence created by illycaffè to promote and disseminate coffee culture throughout the world – it analyzes the coffee production phases along the entire supply chain and identifies any sustainable alternative transformations of this ingredient. And, applying the principles of the circular economy, it studies how to convert elements that are currently discarded from the production process – such as green coffee powder, broken roasted beans, silverskin or coffee oil – into new by-products, because they are all still very rich in molecules that can be reused.
The objective is not only to pursue a regenerative model capable of redefining what we call coffee, but also to bear witness to collaboration, circularity, and innovation, as Andrea Dominique Illy, co-founder and CEO of Amarey, explains. «We want to open new frontiers in the world of coffee and demonstrate the transformative power that this extraordinary plant can have. We are excited to share our commitment to sustainability and innovation through functional products and solutions that redefine sustainability and health.”
«The collaboration with Amarey is a further step in our commitment to the application of responsible and sustainable principles – adds Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè -. We are proud to be able to give, together, a second life to our raw materials, releasing all the unexpressed potential of a precious ingredient like coffee.”
An example of Amarey’s research is arabica oil, a functional ingredient derived from by-products of the coffee supply chain and used in two finished products developed for illycaffè retail: soap and hand cream produced in Italy with 100% circular methods. Arabica oil has a high concentration of essential fatty acids, diterpenes and sterols which give it antioxidant properties, capable of protecting against DNA degradation. Able to restore skin lipids, improves the epidermis and increases skin hydration, as well as promoting cell renewal. The packaging of the two products also represents an innovation based on circularity: the bottles are made with a 100% biopolymer that can be composted at home. In fact, the material is naturally produced by bacteria through the fermentation of sugars or vegetable oils, creating a biocompatible solution with a chemical composition that maintains its performance.