Organic coffee
Organic coffee is coffee produced without the aid of artificial chemicals, such as certain additives or certain pesticides and herbicides.
Organic meaning:
There are many factors that come into consideration when considering organic certification for your coffee. For example, fertilizers for coffee farms must be organic. Some organic fertilizer options include chicken manure, coffee pulp, bocachi, and general compost. If inorganic fertilizers such as synthetic nitrogen, phosphates and potash are used, the crops grown cannot be certified organic.
In the United States, organic coffee crops are regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Although these standards discourage the use of chemicals on farmland within three years of the harvest in question, exemptions are available. This means that not all USDA-certified organic products are necessarily free of chemical residues.
Meanwhile, the Organic Food Production Act (OFPA) of 1990 focuses on post-harvest coffee production. OFPA regulates the use of chemicals in products and how coffee beans are handled throughout the production process. Regulations are not necessarily strict; a former vice president of the National Organic Standards Board has said that the organic label is not a statement about the health, nutritional value or overall safety of eating such products.
Organic Producer:
According to the Costa Rican Center for Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education (CATIE), 75% of the world’s organic coffee comes from Latin America. Additionally, many Asian and African countries produce organic coffee, including Indonesia and Ethiopia. As of 2010, Peru was the leading exporter of organic coffee, exporting more than 423,000 bags that year. More than 100,000 bags are produced annually in Honduras and Mexico. Other large producers include Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador and Guatemala.
Organic coffee production is generally on the rise in Latin America. As of 2010, approximately 10% of one-time organic growers had abandoned conventional production due to price competition. However, this trend is reversing as consumers increasingly demand organic products and investors step in to offer xxx with controllable interest rates.
To be sold as organic in the United States, imported coffee must be certified organic. Among other standards, this includes meeting the following requirements:
The coffee is grown on land that was not exposed to synthetic pesticides or other banned substances 3 years ago.
There is a sufficient buffer between organic coffee and the closest conventional crop.
Sustainable crop rotation plans are developed to prevent erosion, soil nutrient depletion, and control pests naturally.
Environmental impact of organic coffee:
Organic farming can increase the natural environment's resistance to disease. For example, coffee of this standard is often shade grown, a quality that promotes forest conservation. Other benefits of this process include minimizing soil erosion and participating in a healthy ecosystem. Bird populations develop a mutually beneficial relationship with the coffee fields, enjoying the habitat while controlling insect populations and naturally fertilizing the soil.
Shade utilization and reforestation are two aspects of organic coffee production that promote a healthy environmental impact. Because of the impact of these factors on climate vulnerability and carbon stocks, there are aspects of cooperation aligned with climate change adaptation and mitigation. Afforestation in areas with high coffee agroforestry has shown positive results, including financing possibilities through carbon offsets, reforestation and footprint reduction. Technical assistance and capacity building are other low-cost advantages that can help strengthen this cooperation.
Small-scale farming:
Small-scale agriculture can have a significant impact on soil remediation. Although 1/3 farmers have problems obtaining organic fertilizers, organic coffee helps improve the soil. Many would-be organic farmers lack the funds to use environmentally friendly fertilizers to help their coffee grow at a competitive rate. The price farmers pay for coffee can vary widely.
Organic Fertilizer:
Organic fertilizers are an important factor in determining whether coffee can be certified organic. Organic fertilizers can reduce soil erosion and increase fertility by reducing bulk density. This means farmers are not only growing healthy coffee, but they are also putting important nutrients back into the soil to help next season's crops grow. The coffee plant has an important nutrient - coffee pulp. Coffee pulp is the outside of the plant and can be recycled and returned to the soil as organic fertilizer. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are the main nutrients for coffee trees.