Coffee is the most popular drink in the entire world. It is traded more than any commodity except for oil. The coffee market is rapidly changing as the world becomes more conscious of the environment and of many of the farming practices used in the past hundred years. Organic coffee is quickly gaining ground in the competitive coffee market.
Coffee has been used for over a thousand years. Ethiopia appears to be one of the first areas to identify the miraculous qualities of coffee. It didn’t take long before coffee spread throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Back then the growing methods weren’t as well thought out as they are now and the idea of organic ceased to exist (perhaps because crops weren’t yet doused with chemicals).
Today we recognize the importance of thoughtfully growing our crops in a way that protects the ecosystem and keeps consumers healthy. Organic coffee is grown in a way that keeps toxic chemicals out of our bodies and out of our rivers and streams.
Companies that want to grow organic coffee must gain certification according to the regulations of the Organic Food Production Act. This Act lays out the guidelines that growers must follow to become certified and it also explains the method by which growers will be tested to ensure they follow these guidelines.
Organic Coffee Can Only Be Grown In Certified Fields
The fields for organic coffee production must pass stringent guidelines. It isn’t enough that farmers forego the use of chemicals but they must also grow on land that has been chemical free for at least three years in a row. This is to make sure that any coffee displaying an organic coffee label is truly chemical free.
Consumers will notice right away that organic coffee costs a bit more than non organic coffee. This is because the certification process takes time and money to complete. Farmers have to use new growing methods and convert their old land to chemical free land. This can take years and sometimes certification must be attempted repeatedly until it is finally granted.
Since organic coffee is grown without the aid of commercial fertilizers it is important to protect the nutrients in the soil. To do this many farmers plant tall trees near organic coffee crops to protect the fragile nutrients in the topsoil form the damaging effects of direct sunlight.
Many a coffee expert will agree than even without regard to the health and environmental benefits, organic coffee is still a superior product. Its flavor isn’t corrupted by the impact of unnatural chemicals and so organic coffee offers the highest quality taste.