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A two-decade project to develop arabica coffee beans that are naturally decaffeinated is in the works by a Brazilian coffee research institute, and if proven successful, the products could thrive in a market of large consuming regions such as Europe and the US among consumers who would prefer them over the chemically-processed decaffeinated brands.

The Instituto Agronomico de Campinas (IAC), a leading coffee research center that has provided many of the high-yield Brazilian coffee plants, supplying more than a third of the trade, is developing the project

According to data from the National Coffee Association (NCA), decaffeinated coffee consumers make up about 10% of the market in the US.

Researchers stated that they have already begun trials of some of the tested varieties for several years by crossing different coffee plants that are naturally low in caffeine content, using the germplasm bank at their facilities.

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This would also prove beneficial for companies selling decaffeinated coffee as a result of reduced costs by skipping the chemical processes to remove caffeine from regular coffee.

Julio Cesar Mistro, a researcher heading the project at IAC, said: “The results we had so far look promising, we are upbeat".

Coffee trees usually take two to three years to reach fruition, which means that the researchers still have time to grow and test their varieties. 

While some people may be intolerant to caffeine, research published in March shows that high levels of caffeine present in one's blood may lower the amount of body fat carried, while reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.