The Egyptian entrepreneur turning date seeds into a sustainable coffee alternative and building a market for it in Europe

🌴☕ Coffee and matcha may have long reigned as the ultimate morning pick-me-ups, but their growing popularity comes with a high environmental cost. While some continue to fuel the mania, others are looking beyond the usual caffeine fixes for more sustainable alternatives. One person spearheading a greener future for the industry is Mostafa Shokry (LinkedIn) with his date-seed brew initiative Datirs.

A frequent hiker and camper in the mountains of Barcelona, Shokry witnessed the anxiety and energy crashes common with fellow hikers who relied on caffeine for energy boosts. Back home, Shokry had established small factories in the Siwa Oasis to create new income streams for local communities harvesting dates in the desert. Recognizing potential in repurposing an often-discarded byproduct, he proposed a healthier coffee alternative to his friends: the traditional Egyptian date-seed brew — a drink long used in desert communities. Positive reactions ensued, and he started testing the waters in Spain’s sustainable communities with samples of his flagship product.

Sustaining local communities

Coffee farming has for a while been an unsustainable practice, with commercial production known to depend on deforestation and the cutting down of trees, as well as heavy water and chemical use. Growing dates, Shokry claims, is about as sustainable as it gets. Date palms grow in the desert, thriving in hot and dry climates and relying on relatively little water. In an industry built around unsustainability, date seed brews are the “best case scenario,” he tells EnterpriseAM.

Having started out in social impact and sustainability, Shokry made supporting local communities one of Datirs’ pillars — and one he considers indispensable. He had already established relationships with desert communities across different Egyptian oases. “These communities have a problem that they don’t easily trust people who are from outside […] and integrating you into their culture is something that is a bit difficult for them,” Shokry explains.

His work with these communities focused on personal development, from hosting educational and emotional-support workshops to helping them improve communication skills. He also helped those most in need identify worthwhile projects and businesses that could provide longer-term benefits. Eventually, he built a level of trust that made it easier to approach them for help with Datirs — and, in turn, establish a more reliable supply chain for the brand.

Breaking into a skeptical market

Coffee, as we all know it, is a tightly defined concept and a standalone drink with its own set of benefits. Which is why, according to Shokry, positioning his flagship as a coffee alternative to a European audience was his first mistake. When he was introducing Datirs to Spanish and Italian locals, many took offense at the suggestion that date-seed brew could be equivalent to coffee, or to any other drink, for that matter. “You cannot say it’s coffee, or [use] the word coffee in any of your advertising,” Shokry says.

After learning that the hard way, he put his product to the taste test. “Will it be too sweet?” was the question most had on first impression. To familiarize an unfamiliar audience, Shokry took to sample-tasting events where curious people and potential customers could try it for themselves. “People thought date-seed brew would taste like the date, sweet. So I told them, no, it has nothing to do with sugar — it has no sugar. After people tried drinking it, they would go, ‘Oh, this isn’t sweet? Okay, fine,’” he describes.

Once his “awareness campaign” proved successful, targeting a European audience became an easier undertaking — and surprisingly, even easier than charming an Egyptian one. “The European community here have a curiosity for anything authentic, honestly,” Shokry says. While the same awareness campaign wasn’t necessary for Egyptians, who were already familiar with date-seed drinks, many seemed to challenge the idea of a packaged, branded version for precisely that reason — likely driven by the mindset of, “If we can make it at home, why buy it commodified?”

An industry-wide hurdle: Shokry faced some friction when introducing his product to the Egyptian market due to what he describes as a reputation surrounding date seeds: some local coffee brands reportedly adulterate their coffee with date seeds and other blends to make up for soaring coffee import prices. Reports have also circulated alleging that domestic demand for coffee outstrips this year’s supply, contributing to the prevalence of adulterated coffee blends in the local market.

His hurdles didn’t stop there. Date seeds, alongside many fruit seeds, have faced concerns over potential contamination from lead in the environment. Naturally, many Egyptians were reluctant to drink something they believed could pose a health risk. Shokry argues that lead contamination can be traced to the fruit itself rather than the seed, and its presence ultimately depends on where and how the crop was grown.

Despite these hurdles, Shokry remains determined to get a stronger foothold in the local market. Currently, Datirs sells in cafes and wellness stores in Spain, Austria, France, and Portugal. In Egypt, the brand sells exclusively through its online website — and he claims that the brand’s presence in Spain, along with its experience undergoing international quality control and tighter restrictions, has helped strengthen its case with Egyptian consumers.

The health case for date-seed brew

So, what’s actually good about date-seed brew? Other than being sustainably produced, date-seed brew has been linked to a number of potential health benefits. Research has found antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in date seeds that help protect against diabetes and heart problems. They may also offer an energy boost, with research suggesting that date-seed consumption could improve athletic performance and reduce fatigue — a particularly convincing proposition for hikers like Shokry.

Shokry also points to research suggesting that date seeds may support digestive health, including their potential role in improving gut function through gut-friendly prebiotics. Other emerging research has explored their effects on kidney and liver function, which Shokry says he learned about at a conference and believes could point to further applications for date seeds.

The future of Datirs

Shokry is currently working on extending his product line with new flavors — cacao, hazelnut, and cinnamon — following successful consumer testing. He is also in the process of building Datirs’ first dedicated store in Spain, with hopes of having stores all over Europe within five years.

Establishing a physical presence in Egypt is particularly important to Shokry. “I want Datirs to be not just a place where you buy the product, but a place where you come to sit, drink, and try other date-related products,” he tells us. He is working to move beyond online sales and build brick-and-mortar Datirs cafe spaces across Cairo, where he hopes to showcase a wider range of date-seed products.