by Rena Sandou

Created on: February 04, 2009   Last Updated: February 06, 2009

According to the Organic Trade Association organic coffee sales in the United States reached $110 million in 2006, increased by 24 percent from 2005, while the imports of organic coffee to the U.S. and Canada reached over 80 million pounds in 2008. In 2007, the organic coffee sector represented the 3 percent of the total coffee imports, while the 32 percent annual average growth rates for the organic industry for the period 200-2007 overpowered the 2 percent annual growth rate of the conventional coffee industry.

All above statistics indicate a trend towards a healthier living style. Organic products such as fruits, vegetables, juices, dairy products are daily advertised in the media. Coffee, as one of the most popular beverages worldwide, could not be excluded.

Organic coffee is brewed using methods and materials that respect the environment having a low impact on the environmental balance. Organic production systems maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and constant insect killers and fertilizers, and develop biologically diverse agriculture. This means that organic coffee beans are environmental friendly and less possible to produce negative side effects or diseases to human population as a result of not being exposed to harmful chemicals.

The most commonly applied method for producing organic coffee is the use of toxic solvents such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate.

Organic coffee is first being decaffeinated with the SWISS WATER process in order to maintain the organic integrity of the beans. In this process, coffee beans are repeatedly soaked into water until they are 99.9% clear of caffeine and then they are removed and dehydrated, waiting their turn to the roasters.

Today, 40 countries produce genuine organic coffee such as Brazil, Cuba, Costa Rica, China, United States (Hawaii) and others with Mexico, Ethiopia, Peru and Bolivia on the lead. In those areas there are coffee plants that grow under the shadow of other trees as coffee plants need minimum direct sun light. This method is called inter-planting and works as a natural fertilizer. When the surrounding trees lose their foliage, the fallen leaves form a kind of ground layer that keeps the humidity and earth moisture integral and confined. Therefore, there is no need for toxic fertilizers.

This vast mixture of shade trees is also a natural habitat for many birds and insects. The insects fertilize the soil and the birds that survive on eating them keep the coffee plants free of pests. Again, there is no need for chemical pesticides that would harm both the environment and the coffee beans. Additionally, as the destruction of natural forests keeps rising, these coffee farms help preventing the diminishment of bird population preserving the life and balance there.

In regards to flavor, organic coffee beans have a more natural flavor than conventional coffee due to the non chemical based process of growing and producing them.
So, the next time you order a cup of coffee, consider trying an organic one. They taste better, they are healthier and you contribute to the global effort of saving the natural forests and the environment. Although organic coffee beans tend to be slightly more expensive than conventional ones, they offer immeasurable health advantages that are far more important than money.

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