How Is Organic Coffee Produced?

The popularity of organic coffee continues to grow as more people become aware of the environmental damage caused by conventional coffee production, but just what is organic coffee? How is it grown, and what makes it different from the can of big brand coffee you’ll find in any supermarket? Let’s take a look at the regulations for calling coffee organic and the benefits that come from buying more responsibly produced beans.

The most basic definition of organic coffee is that it’s been grown according to the principles of organic farming. This means it was produced without the use of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. However, there are a host of other activities usually associated with organic farms, too. These include responsible environmental stewardship, composting, recycling, and working to improve the overall health of the soil. Not all organic coffee growers do this, but many go beyond the letter of the law.

Currently, the majority of organic coffee producers are located in Mexico, Peru, and Ethiopia. In order to be labeled for sale as organic coffee in the United States, a coffee must gain organic certification (the characteristics listed above). It must also be grown on land that has been without pesticides or other unallowable substances for three years or more, have a large enough buffer between the organic coffee and a traditional crop to prevent cross contamination, and be grown using sustainable crop rotation methods. This allows for better pest control, prevents soil nutrient depletion, and keeps erosion to a minimum.

Buying organic coffee helps the environment control pests and diseases. The majority of this type of coffee is grown in the shade, preserving forest that might otherwise be cut down in traditional growing, and further helping reduce damage. Bird and animal habitats are preserved and natural fertilization processed continue. It’s also less costly to start an organic coffee crop, though yields are smaller and farms make less money per acre.