What exactly is organic coffee?

Organic coffee is grown without the use of fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, herbicides or growth aids. In other words, organic coffee producers respect nature, the health of farmers, labourers and the environment, by ensuring that coffee is grown without harmful chemicals.

Since organic coffee farms are smaller, they are also more labour-intensive than conventional coffee farms. This means that harvesting organic coffee beans often involves composting, manual control of weeds and pests and the preservation of the biodiversity of shade cover and companion plants. The best conditions for growing organic coffee beans are found in a rain forest ecosystem, which makes organic cultivation methods easy.

Made in the Shade

Sun coffee is the result of the modernization and “technification” of coffee harvesting. To produce faster, higher yields and prevent the spread of coffee leaf rust disease, many coffee plantations, beginning in the 1970s, started growing coffee under sunnier conditions. However, fewer shade trees mean less biodiversity.

Shade-grown coffee, on the other hand, thrives under a naturally fertilized rain forest canopy of leaves. This provides the added benefit of providing a sanctuary for wild life such as migratory birds, which, in turn, help control pests. Shade-grown coffee plantations often contain up to 40 different species of trees. The shade trees also filter carbon dioxide, which is a contributor to global warming. They also help retain soil moisture, thus minimizing erosion.

Coffee was traditionally and naturally shade-grown because the plant is relatively intolerant of direct sunlight.

Researchers working in Mexico in the 1990s discovered that shade-grown coffee farms supported at least 180 species of birds, an amount exceeded only in undisturbed forest areas. At the same time, they found 94 to 97 percent fewer species on sun coffee plantations.

Most organic coffees are shade-grown. Examples include organic Costa Rican coffee and blends from Mexico, Guatemala and Peru.

Certified Organic Coffee

While conventional coffee is grown with more pesticides than any other agricultural crop, organic coffee is produced under strict certification guidelines by various third-party organic certification organizations. Examples include Transfair Canada, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and the Rainforest Alliance.

Organic and shade grown coffees are closely associated with Fair Trade. Most coffee certified as Fair Trade is also certified organic. Indeed a strong overlap exists amongst certified organic coffee, shade-grown coffee and social justice movements.

So let’s make that cup of java an organic one!