by Leann Zotis

Created on: February 05, 2009   Last Updated: February 14, 2009

Coffee drinkers are always seeking that more flavorful, more robust and overall more pleasing cup of coffee. For this reason, a lot of coffee drinkers are looking to organically grown coffee to satisfy their taste buds. The appeal of organically grown coffee is two-fold. Organic coffee production is both environmentally friendly and leads to better tasting coffee that has not been tainted by chemical fertilization or pest control methods.

Organic coffee is coffee that is grown under conditions that produce minimal environmental impact. When coffee beans are grown organically, attention is paid to replenishing nutrients in the soil; toxic pesticides are avoided; fertilizers used are biologically friendly.

Traditionally grown coffee plants are exposed to direct sunlight without benefit of shade giving trees. Organic coffee production involves planting coffee plants among shade giving trees. The falling leaves provide compost to naturally fertilize the coffee plants and rejuvenate the nutrients in the soil.

Organic coffee is grown the world over, including countries such as Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Panama, as well as some 35 other countries. In order to promote itself as organic, coffee grown using these methods must receive third party certification to ensure that organic coffee farmers are adhering to the legal standards for organic production.

The USDA seal for organically grown coffee will only appear on a coffee product that contains no less than 95 percent organic ingredients and that has also received certification from an agency accredited by the USDA for organic coffee production.

The components of organic coffee production start with the aforementioned inter-planting, where coffee plants are interspersed with shade trees. Falling leaves from these shade trees collect on the soil and biodegrade to form compost which allows for the natural fertilization of the coffee plants. The leaf compost also adds to the nutrient base of the soil, thereby enriching the soil for future crop growth.

Another important feature of the use of shade trees in organic coffee production is that these trees encourage a thriving bird population around the coffee fields. The birds live in the trees and feed off of the insects that might otherwise devour the coffee plants. The birds provide a level of natural pesticide protection.

Because the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or insecticides is strictly forbidden in organic coffee production, the natural robust flavor of the coffee beans is not compromised with chemical over-tastes.

Organic coffee production extends beyond just the typical coffee beverage itself. Other organic products include decaffeinated, flavored or instant coffee products, organic coffee flavored ice cream or yogurt, candies and chocolate covered coffee beans.

The enjoyment of organic coffee has been increasing steadily. Organic Trade Association fact sheets show an increase of 24 percent in organic coffee sales in the United States between 2005 and 2006. Future reports expect to see a continuation of this trend.

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