Many small- and large-scale coffee growers have started to use organic practices.
What, exactly, does this mean?
Organic, Described
The continuous use of chemical fertilizer in coffee farming has harmed the soil, reducing coffee production levels. Organic methods have a low impact on the environment, shying away from toxic pesticides and fertilizers and leaning more toward natural methods to build a biologically diverse agriculture. Farmyard manure and agricultural compost are combined to form a compost used to fertilize the plants. Compost provides most of the nutrients the coffee plants need for growth and slowly releases the nutrients are slowly released thereby avoid the build-up of toxic residues in the soil, which in turn can cause ground water pollution. Composts also aid in water retention inside the coffee farm. The hydrogen ion concentration of coffee soils is maintained at neutral ph which is ideal for growing coffee.
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| Worm Composting |
Crops grown with compost are healthy and beneficial to the environment since they recharge the soil. Billions of microorganisms are activated in healthy soil for the benefit of the farming community. Repeated use of compost in coffee farming enriches the soil, improving the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. The Selva Negra Coffee Estate in Nicaragua, for example, has a worm composting program.
The following video is the Nicaraguan Organic Farmer Portrait.
Certified Organic
Coffee sold as “certified organic” must meet standards for organic production and be certified by an agency accredited by the US Department of Agriculture. Coffee meeting US requirements for organic production has been produced on farms that avoid synthetic pesticides or other prohibited substances for at least three years and use a sustainable crop rotation plan thereby preventing erosion, depletion of soil nutrients, and controlling for pests.
US Market for Organic Coffee
Findings from the North American Organic Coffee Industry Survey 2009 report approximately 89 million pounds of organic coffee were imported into the United States and Canada in 2008, a 12% increase from 2007, with most of the $1.3 billion in sales taking place in the U.S.
Organic Coffee Labels, Demystified
The USDA Organic seal appears on any coffee product containing 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. The coffee may also carry a label saying “100% organic” or “Organic.”
Fair Trade certification focuses on labor and trade standards to provide small-farmer co-operatives a guaranteed price above the conventional market. Although not all Fair Trade Certified coffee is necessarily organic, the Fair Trade certification does require rigorous protection of local ecosystems by prohibiting the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the most hazardous pesticides. Fifty nine percent of all Fair Trade Certified coffee imported into the United States in 2008 was certified organic. In the United States, transactions must be audited by Fair Trade USA to use a Fair Trade Certified label. Certified organic producers of Fair Trade coffee receive at least $1.55/lb.
The Bird Friendly® name can only be used by operators who meet inspection and certification requirements established by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. All certified Bird Friendly® coffee must also be certified organic. Bird Friendly® certification requires that the coffee be shade-grown with a wide variety of native shade trees and other shade-providing species. No synthetic chemicals can be used in the processing of Bird Friendly® coffee. Bird Friendly standards are the strictest of the third-party environmental standards, and certified coffees carry this seal.
Now….wouldn’t you rather drink organic coffee – produced responsibly for both you and the environment?
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