Organic coffee
Encyclopedia
Organic coffee is coffee
that has been grown according to organic farming
standards and techniques, without the use of artificial fertilizer
s, pesticide
s or herbicide
s.
Many producers exclusively use the three main coffee certifications: shade-grown, organic, and Fair Trade
. They do this in an effort to create a more environmentally and socially responsible product as well as to market it to more affluent socially responsible consumers.
The term organic
can also refer to farms, or products from them which incorporate socially responsible
activities such as recycling
, composting, soil health
and environmental protections.
. Mexico
and Ethiopia
are also major producers of the coffee. According to the center for Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education in Costa Rica (CATIE), 75% of the world's organic coffee comes from Latin America
, and that 10% of growers have reverted to conventional production due to price competition.
In order to be sold as organic coffee in the U.S. it must gain organic certification
and meet the following requirements:
s or pesticide
s. It typically yields a smaller crop and thus the farms tend to make less money relative to the size of the farm. In 2006, 67,000 metric tons of organic coffee were sold in the world , while world coffee consumption, including both organic and non-organic coffee was estimated at approximately 6,900,000 metric tons in 2005 .
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
that has been grown according to organic farming
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
standards and techniques, without the use of artificial fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
s, pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s or herbicide
Herbicide
Herbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant...
s.
Many producers exclusively use the three main coffee certifications: shade-grown, organic, and Fair Trade
Fair trade coffee
Fair trade coffee is coffee which is purchased directly from the growers for a higher price than standard coffee. Fair trade coffee is one of many fair trade certified products available around the world. The purpose of fair trade is to promote healthier working conditions and greater economic...
. They do this in an effort to create a more environmentally and socially responsible product as well as to market it to more affluent socially responsible consumers.
The term organic
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
can also refer to farms, or products from them which incorporate socially responsible
Social responsibility
Social responsibility is an ethical ideology or theory that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act to benefit society at large. Social responsibility is a duty every individual or organization has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the...
activities such as recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
, composting, soil health
Soil health
Soil health is an assessment of ability of a soil to meet its range of ecosystem functions as appropriate to its environment.- Aspects of soil health :The term soil health is used to assess the ability of a soil to:...
and environmental protections.
Organic producers
The primary producer and exporter of organic coffee is the South American nation of PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
are also major producers of the coffee. According to the center for Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education in Costa Rica (CATIE), 75% of the world's organic coffee comes from Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, and that 10% of growers have reverted to conventional production due to price competition.
In order to be sold as organic coffee in the U.S. it must gain organic certification
Organic certification
Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. In general, any business directly involved in food production can be certified, including seed suppliers, farmers, [food] processors, retailers and restaurants.Requirements vary...
and meet the following requirements:
- Grown on land without synthetic pesticides or other prohibited substances for 3 years.
- A sufficient buffer exists between the organic coffee and the closest conventional crop.
- Sustainable crop rotation plan to prevent erosion, the depletion of soil nutrients, and control for pests.
The effects of organic coffee on the environment
Organic agriculture stimulates the environment’s natural development of disease and pest control. Because much organic coffee is shade grown, large amounts of forest may be preserved. This preservation has many additional benefits: minimizing soil erosion, preserving habitat, especially for birds; further, the leaves from the trees and bird droppings naturally fertilize the soil. Birds also control pests by eating insects that eat the leaves of coffee plants.The organic coffee market
The initial amount of capital needed to grow an organic coffee crop is less than traditional because it does not require up front purchase of synthetic fertilizerFertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
s or pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s. It typically yields a smaller crop and thus the farms tend to make less money relative to the size of the farm. In 2006, 67,000 metric tons of organic coffee were sold in the world , while world coffee consumption, including both organic and non-organic coffee was estimated at approximately 6,900,000 metric tons in 2005 .