Organic Coffee

Organic coffee is grown using methods and materials that have a little impact on the environment. This is done so as to maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and harmful pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture. In order for the coffee to be certified and sold as organic coffee (in US), it must be cultivated in agreement with U.S. standards for organic production and needs to be certified by an agency accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The requirements for organic coffee cultivation are:

It must have been grown on land without synthetic pesticides or other prohibited substances for 3 years.

There should have been a sufficient buffer between the organic coffee and the nearest conventional crop.

The farmer must have a sustainable crop rotation plan to prevent erosion, depletion of soil nutrients, and control for pests.

Organic coffee products in the market include decaffeinated, caffeinated, flavored and instant coffees, organic coffee ice cream, coffee sodas, hard candies, and chocolate covered beans. Traditionally produced coffees are decaffeinated by using methylene chloride. Organic coffee, however, is decaffeinated using a certified organic decaffeination process so as to maintain the organic integrity of the beans. The most common organic decaffeination process is the Swiss water treatment process, where they remove the caffeine content using only water.

Globally, organic coffee represents around 0.6 percent of the total coffee sold (according to estimates from The World Bank). Organic coffee consumption reached 42,000 metric tons for major coffee-consuming nations in 2003. 

Organic coffee is grown in Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mexico, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, and Venezuela. The leading producers of organic coffee are Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Peru. The United States grows organic coffee in Hawaii.

Labels on organic coffee

The USDA Organic seal appears on only those coffee products that contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients and that has been certified as organic by a certification agency accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition to this, the coffee may also carry a label saying “100 percent organic” or “Organic.”

Why You Must Go For Organic Coffee?

There are many advantages or reasons on why you should go for organic coffee. Few of them are:

1) Organic coffee meets stringent standards: Organic certification is for the public’s assurance that the coffee has been produced under strict norms without persistent toxic chemical inputs.

2) Organic coffee tastes great: This is only to be expected as well-balanced soil will produce healthy coffee.

3) Organic production reduces health risks: Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.

4) Organic farms respect our water resources: The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves our water resources.

5) Organic farmers build healthy soil: Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils so that our future generations do not suffer.

6) Organic farming helps keep rural communities healthy: USDA reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops.

Thus, we see that by going for organic coffee not only helps us but also helps preserve the environment.