The Many Benefits Of Organic Coffee
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.
Coffee has been used for over a thousand years. Ethiopia appears to be one of the first areas to identify the miraculous qualities of coffee. It didn’t take long before coffee spread throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Back then the growing methods weren’t as well thought out as they are now and the idea of organic ceased to exist (perhaps because crops weren’t yet doused with chemicals).
Today our food production is heavily regulated. We are seeing the slow decline of many toxic compounds used in growing practices but most growers are resistant to change. We now realize the environmental effects that pesticides, herbicides, and even fertilizers have on the watershed and ecosystems. For this reason organic coffee farming is becoming more common.
The farmers that apply for organic farming certification have to prove that they are both capable and willing to follow the specifics of the Organic Food Production Act. This act ensures that organic growers are tested to ensure they are maintaining their pledge to grow organic coffee within these guidelines. Organic coffee growers must continuously maintain their certification as a protection for consumers.
Certified Organic Coffee Fields Required
The fields in which organic crops are grown must first be certified organic. This can be a time consuming process because a farmer may have used pesticides or heavy fertilizers for years which leads to a build up of these compounds in the soil. Before becoming certified, farmers must maintain chemical free land for three consecutive years. This ensures that past toxins won’t affect the new organic coffee crops.
Consumers will notice right away that organic coffee costs a bit more than non organic coffee. This is because the certification process takes time and money to complete. Farmers have to use new growing methods and convert their old land to chemical free land. This can take years and sometimes certification must be attempted repeatedly until it is finally granted.
Since modern fertilizers usually aren’t used when growing organic coffee, crops are often grown in the shade of large trees to protect the soil from sunlight. The delicate nutrients in the topsoil can be easily destroyed by the sun’s rays.
Many a coffee expert will agree than even without regard to the health and environmental benefits, organic coffee is still a superior product. Its flavor isn’t corrupted by the impact of unnatural chemicals and so organic coffee offers the highest quality taste.