As the world strives for healthy consumption and natural products, organic coffee is quite popular. It is a beverage that most people consume at least once a day, so it is understandable that consumers want to choose a truly high-quality product. Numerous studies have shown significant benefits of growing and consuming organic coffee both from an environmental and personal health perspective.

What is organic coffee?

The term “organic coffee” refers to beans that are grown in unpolluted soil, without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Standards vary from country to country some are strict and strict, while other regions have a more relaxed policy.

It is interesting to know that Death Wish coffee, which is considered the strongest coffee in the world, is certified as environmentally friendly and organic.

Growing organic coffee

According to the rules of some countries, in order for a plot of land to be suitable for organic farming, it must be free of chemicals for a certain period of time. This is usually between 3 and 5 years, which experts estimate is enough time for chemicals to wash out of the soil.

However, there are standards that do not take into account soil contamination, but only require that crops be treated in a certain way.

Growing organic food allows the use of pesticides and fertilizers, but they must be natural. For example, compost, manure, and coffee pulp are the most common forms of organic fertilizer, and some insects and birds control pests. There is even a concept of organic coffee that is bird friendly.

In order for organic farms to attract enough “beneficial” insects and birds that feed on pests, they must grow their trees in the shade. This means planting trees around the coffee plantation, which in turn benefits the environment.

Processing organic coffee

Coffee beans can be processed in two ways: wet and dry.

• Wet processing involves using water to separate the beans from the cherries. It uses a lot of water, so some people don’t consider it environmentally friendly. Despite this, wet processing is still widely used because it produces coffee with a fruity, vibrant character. It is an expensive process, but it produces top-quality beans.
• Dry processing is a completely different method. The coffee cherries are spread out on a large piece of cloth or nylon and left to dry in the sun. They are often turned by hand or with various tools to ensure that all sides dry evenly. After this, the cherries are cleaned and prepared for roasting. The entire process takes about 4 weeks on average.

Farmers in Asia, South America and Africa usually use the dry method. But there are regions with a lot of rain or very high humidity where only wet processing is applicable.

Roasting organic coffee

It is important not only to buy organic, eco-friendly beans, but also to keep them that way during the roasting process. How to do this? The only option is to use separate roasters, exclusively for roasting organic coffee.

The reason for this is that roasting non-organic beans can leave a chemical residue on the surface of the machine, which then mixes with the organic beans and thus contaminates them.

In addition, the roasting process must also exclude even the minimal presence of flavor enhancers or additives. The resulting coffee aroma must come only from the beans.

Organic Decaffeinated Coffee

For decaffeinated coffee to be considered organic, it must be made through one of the following decaffeination processes:

• Swiss Water Process
• Carbon dioxide treatment

These methods also produce the most flavorful coffee and maintain its high quality. Other decaffeination processes use too many chemicals that contaminate the beans and the product can no longer be considered organic.

Benefits of Organic Coffee

There are several reasons to switch to this particular drink. Different people have their own reasons and values, but in general they can be summarized as follows:

Caring for the environment

Organic coffee beans are grown in the shade, which requires planting trees, which creates new habitat for local wildlife. The areas of the world where most coffee comes from are already experiencing serious deforestation, so it’s good to know that coffee farms are doing something to combat this.

No chemicals are used in the growing process, so the soil is not polluted. Instead, the use of natural fertilizers helps maintain healthy levels of microorganisms in the soil.

Caring for people’s health

Since conventional coffee is treated with fungicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers without any problem, these toxins end up in your favorite morning beverage. You don’t have to worry about that when you drink coffee from organic beans.

Improving taste and aroma

Many coffee connoisseurs claim that organic coffee tastes better than non-organic coffee. It is difficult to say whether this is due to the placebo effect or is comparable to reality. On the other hand, the beans do not contain any foreign additives, so it is possible that the sophisticated palate of an experienced gourmet can detect some unique aromas and sophistication.

Support for farmers

Most of the beans you buy as organic coffee are purchased from fair trade farms, which ensure that their workers are paid fair wages and that they do not have any unethical practices such as slave or child labor.

When you buy organic coffee beans, you can be sure that you are supporting good businesses rather than giving money to corporations that sometimes disregard human rights and the environment to make maximum profits.

Where to buy organic coffee

For most people, it is most convenient to buy organic coffee in an online store. In large cities, it can be found in individual stores, for example, in Moscow, you can buy organic coffee in Tiny Footprint Coffee, as well as where various eco-products are sold. It is usually not found in regular mass supermarkets or markets.