The Pros And Cons Of Organic Coffee

There is no uniform international standard for organic coffee certification. In the United States, the standard for organic coffee is set by the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP). The EU's definition of organic coffee is: "All producers, processors or traders who wish to sell food products as organic need to register with relevant agencies. The operators responsible for verification in these agencies need to comply with organic rules. Each EU country can decide whether the certification body is public or private, but the relevant authorities will check whether these bodies comply with EU organic production rules." There are many other countries outside the EU that have similar standards.

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The certification of organic farms is handled by agencies that typically operate in several producing countries and are certified to multiple standards to serve different markets.

For example, agents headquartered in the United States will be NOP certified by the USDA, and the certified products are organic products in the US market. If the farms they work with want to sell certified organic coffee in Japan, the agency needs to be accredited by JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards).

Certifying a farm as organic can be expensive and time-consuming, and before being certified, farms undergo a three-year conversion that does not use chemically synthesized pesticides or fertilizers. During and after this period, one must demonstrate the ability to meet the specific requirements of the market for organic standards. To do this, an approved land organic management plan must be developed and implemented.

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The plan should cover weed and pest management, detail what fertilizers to use, and, if applicable, how to protect and replenish soil health through a cover crop system. If a farm grows both organic and non-organic coffee, a buffer zone must be established to prevent contamination from chemical synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

All input and management choices need to be recorded so that when the auditors of the certification body come, they can verify that the certification is proceeding as planned.

Harvest and post-harvest procedures must also follow organic principles. This means that harvesters cannot use the same bags to transport non-organic and organic coffee cherries, and equipment must be thoroughly cleaned between processing batches.

If the same machine is used to remove the pulp from both organic and non-organic coffee, the machine is first used to wash a small amount of organic coffee that cannot be sold as organic.

When the coffee leaves the farm, it needs to go directly to an organic certification body. If the same agency also has non-organic coffee, there needs to be a process in place to prevent batches from mixing up. This careful separation takes place until it reaches the roaster, which also has to go through the process of being certified organic in order to put the organic label on the packaging.

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Organic coffee stands in stark contrast to conventional coffee, which in the 1960s and 1970s saw producers intensively plant new, high-yielding varieties, along with heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. But organic production is neither low-tech nor old-fashioned, but an agricultural tradition that dates back thousands of years.

The goal of open coffee growing techniques is basically to increase the productivity of the land. In contrast, the goal and challenge of organic production are to naturally create a suitable climate for coffee trees to grow while maintaining productivity in the face of impacts such as disease, pests, and climate change. (Translator added: Open planting allows coffee beans to be planted in large areas like American wheat or soybeans, which is completely different from the traditional way of planting in the shade of forests. Although it can increase production, it requires more water for irrigation and cannot be used for Coffee farmers to spread the risk. Will hurt the economy of the coffee-producing country).

In Luisburgo, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the coffee here is all organic. Creating soil and a suitable ecosystem is very important.

The more nutrients a plant absorbs from the soil, the more resistant it is to any pests or diseases. At the heart of plants is the availability of food, microbes, and ecosystem influences as the source of nutrition.

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There are many ways to fertilize and protect coffee without the use of chemicals. The most obvious one is to use compost made from nitrogen and potassium-rich coffee pulp.

Organic production usually results in lower yields, but this is not always the case. "Because of the design of our management process, we allow organic and conventional production to achieve the same yield," says Juan.

Labor costs, however, can be higher than conventional non-organic production: Organic farming involves mixing organic compost, transporting it to fields, and weeding by hand, a process that is more labor-intensive than direct spraying of synthetic herbicides or fertilizers.

Some smallholder farmers also grow organic coffee because organic certification has cumbersome paperwork and certification fees, making the certification process unaffordable for small farmers. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are too expensive, so they can be certified even if they are not certified. Organic coffee is grown, which includes most smallholder farmers in Ethiopia.

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By far, the biggest barrier to organic certification for farmers is the cost. The fee to be paid includes the inspection fee, the travel, and accommodation costs of the certified auditor, and the annual fee after the certification is passed. These costs prevent most small farmers from being certified organic unless they join a cooperative. In the case of a cooperative, members can share the costs together.

It's easy to see why organic coffee costs more than non-certified coffee of the same quality. In addition to the cost of certification, there is additional labor and effort required to maintain certification traceability.

Juan said: "The price difference between organic coffee and regular coffee is very reasonable because the cost of producing organic coffee is higher than conventional coffee, and all the procedures are ensuring the traceability and quality of the coffee to avoid any contamination."

In addition to certification fees and the additional labor of organic farming, organic production presents other challenges.

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Organic farms may be healthier and more resilient in the long run than coffee farms with "open coffee growing techniques" on one of the ratings, "biodiversity," but this rating is difficult to quantify. When comparing organic and non-organic farms, non-organic farms may appear to be more successful on this scale because the project only evaluates easily measurable factors such as yield and production costs.

Certification requirements are also inflexible and not necessarily suitable for coffee growing. For example, a farmer on an ecological but full-shade farm that applies moderate amounts of fertilizer several times a year can also be disqualified from organic certification. But another farmer who grows coffee in the sun and pollutes local water with wastewater from processing coffee may qualify for certification.

Consumers are unlikely to be informed of these nuanced differences and may simply think organic certification is more environmentally friendly.

Pests and diseases are also a challenge, and the focus of organic coffee production must be on prevention. Maintaining proper shade, drainage, and soil health can minimize pest and plant disease infestation.

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In the unfortunate event of an outbreak of pests and diseases, the first step is usually to physically remove the infected plants and catch the pests with manual traps. Both methods are more labor-intensive than non-organic farming but are manageable.

However, in the event of a sudden and severe outbreak, such as severe coffee leaf rust, farmers may have to choose between losing the entire crop or spraying the chemical directly and losing certification. As mentioned earlier, organic certification involves time-consuming processes and costs. Also, it takes into account the loss of customers who have committed to buying organic beans, so this is not an easy choice.

Since growing organic coffee has these drawbacks, why grow it? Two main reasons: commercial interests and environmental factors.

Organic coffee is sold at a higher price than non-organic coffee. These premiums can offset the cost of certification but are also a modest strategy that allows farmers to make more money when coffee futures are cheap. Coffee sold on Fairtrade terms will automatically receive a premium of 30 cents per pound if it is also certified organic.

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The market outlook for organic coffee is difficult to gauge, and certified organic coffee is not sold centrally, making it difficult to track what happens after it is sold. The U.S. Organic Trade Data Report from 2011 to 2016 noted that U.S. organic coffee imports and prices were largely stable but have gradually declined in recent years. But the 2018 report on sustainable markets noted that the extent of the global land area dedicated to organic production is increasing.

To get to the bottom of it, farmers should decide for themselves whether organic certification is worth investing in the property part by understanding the content of certification, the actual cost, and considering whether they can cooperate with cooperatives to make the certification burden lighter.

For many, the decision to certify organic isn't just a realistic financial consideration. Juan said that the Brazilian coffee-growing area mentioned earlier in the article is willing to get rid of "traditional coffee and unstable New York futures trading", and the first choice for change is organic cultivation, which is in line with the local people's philosophy of life, that is, in microclimate producing areas sustainable production.

In an era of climate change, farmers and consumers are increasingly aware of the impact of using non-organic methods. Organic farming has a range of positive impacts on soil health and ecosystems, including carbon storage.

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While consumers don't need to worry about pesticides in a cup of coffee, it does raise concerns for farmworkers. Incorrect storage of pesticides, inadequate personal protection for applicators, and lack of training for pesticide handlers are not uncommon in developing countries, resulting in direct exposure of farmworkers to toxins.

For roasters, ethical and economic aspects are also major factors to consider. If an organic certification body allows you to sell in-store as organic coffee, the front-end certification will require more effort.

Growing organic coffee can be a challenging and high-risk decision, and the cost of certification can place a heavy burden on producers. But if you're leaning toward permaculture, the environmental and health benefits of organic farming may appeal to you. It may also make you a better seller in the market by having a certified quality product.

Building a complete supply chain for organic coffee is no simple task. Every part of the supply chain must be considered, and surprisingly, consumers end up paying less per pound for organic coffee.

Please remember to avoid caffeine in excess. Using an easy and quick caffeine calculator to calculate your daily caffeine intake is a good way. Which one do you prefer, tea or coffee? Either way, you'll want to avoid drinking too much, which leads to excessive consumption of caffeine.