The world over, coffee is the beverage of choice for most people. It is a delicious and energizing drink that stimulates the mind and provides many health benefits. However people are beginning to recognize the limitations of traditional farming and the many benefits that organic coffee has for our health and the well being of our ecosystems.

Over a thousand years ago a lonely goat herder in Ethiopia first discovered the coffee the plant. It didn’t take long before people discovered they could make a marvelous beverage from the plant that would wake them up and keep them going day after day. The use of coffee spread throughout the world faster than wildfire.

Today people are considered by the environmental and health effect of many twentieth century growing practices. For the health conscious consumer, organic coffee is the only choice. Organic coffee is grown without toxic insecticides and herbicides. The fertilizers used are all natural and consumers don’t have to worry about being slowly poisoned.

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 Fields Must Gain Certification

The field in which certified organic coffee is grown must meet high standards as well. It must be shown to have been free of any contaminants or chemicals for at least three years prior to certification. This protects the consumer from past environmental effects that might influence the safety of current coffee crops.

Because of the sometimes long and expensive transition from traditional growing to organic coffee growing, the prices of organic coffee are higher. This isn’t much of a concern for most consumers that are after the healthy benefits of naturally grown coffee. Already as more farmers make the transition prices are becoming lower.

To grow coffee without using industrial fertilizers, the crops are often planted in the shade. This protects delicate soil nutrients from being eradicated by the sun’s UV radiation. Creating shade can also add to farming cost.

All of this work is well worth it for the serious coffee drinker. It provides a healthier, more eco-friendly way to grow our favorite beverage.

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