Organic coffee is turning up in most coffee shops, and we’re seeing more of it on grocery store shelves, too – but what makes it special? Is organic coffee really worth the price markup? There are some real differences, and knowing about them can help you when you buy your next bag of beans.

First, you’ll need to understand how conventional coffee is grown. Generally, a number of practices are used that are not terribly environmentally friendly or good for coffee plantation workers. Pesticides and fertilizers used to increase yield are prone to leaking into groundwater and surface water supplies, and may cause the overgrowth of local greenery, as well.

Clearing local forest, including rainforest, decreases the available number of trees and results in increased erosion, plus it displaces wildlife and increases the threat to many species. In countries where the chemicals used are unregulated, they can be extremely dangerous to the workers.

How is organic coffee different? To be labeled as organic, no chemical fertilizers or pesticides may be used. Generally, these plantations involved crop rotation and shade growing methods that involve less deforestation, and thus less loss of habitat and erosion. The danger to workers is much lower with organic coffee as well. These coffees are often richer in flavor than conventional types.

Organic coffee is often, but not always, Fair Trade certified as well. This means that the low pay and long hours traditional in coffee production have been replaced by fair wages and improvements in the local community. Certain standards of pay and treatment of workers apply to Fair Trade certified coffee.

If the quality of your coffee and the conditions in which it is grown are important to you, it might be worthwhile to check out organic coffee varieties available near you. If you don’t have access to a good selection, try looking online. There are plenty of great specialty retailers on the Internet who can offer an incredible selection of organic coffees. You’re sure to find the one you prefer. It’s worth it for coffee this good.

In order to be labeled as organic, coffee must be grown using methods that have as little impact on the environment as possible. Ideally, an organic system of production will help maintain and replenish the fertility of the soil, avoid use of toxic and unhealthy chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and help increase biological diversity. In the US, certification as organic coffee requires that farming must have been done without any prohibited substances for three years or more, that crop rotation to keep erosion down must be implemented, and that sustainable practices be used.

This results in coffee production that, unlike conventional methods, doesn’t pollute the water, is safe for workers, and produces a better coffee bean. Currently, sales of organic coffee account for about a hundred and ten million dollars, and the amount is growing. In 2008, over eighty-one million pounds of organic coffee were imported into North America. That’s about three percent of total coffee imports. The industry is growing at a rate of about thirty two percent a year – far more than the one to two percent growth of conventional coffee.

Organic coffee is currently being grown in forty different countries, located in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia and Africa, as well as in the US. The current leading producers of organic coffee are Ethiopia, Mexico, and Peru, however. You can find organic coffees on the market in nearly every form, from plain roasted beans to flavored, decaffeinated and instant coffees, organic chocolate covered coffee beans, candy, and many other coffee-related products. Coffee with the organic label can be found locally, or bought online, where even better selections are available.

In addition to the organic certification, coffee may carry a Fair Trade label (not all Fair Trade coffee is organic, but much of it is, and some basic environmental rules apply) and the Bird Friendly label, which indicates that the coffee is shade grown and promotes local biological diversity. All Bird Friendly coffee must be organic.

Organic Coffee Beans