organic coffee

what is organic, what is fair trade, and why is it important?

Coffee is a special plant - it must grow in shade and on fragile and fertile soil. Coffee regions are highly biodiversified. Organic coffees are grown on fragile soils, and often on steep terrain highly susceptible to erosion.

Nature provides her own alternatives to the chemicals used by many commercial growers. To prevent the nutrients from the topsoil's being bleached by the sun, organic growers plant trees such as banana, plantain, mahogany, guava palm and others. Not only do these trees protect the soil, they provide wildlife habitat even for migratory birds that lost their natural habitat because of deforestation.

As with all organic foods, organic coffee it is grown without any synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, which is enabled by inter-planting of other food and cash crops along with coffee into already existing ecosystem or by creating a multi-layered coffee plantation. The leaves falling from the trees, along with compost made from the mulch of coffee cherries, cattle manure, and residues from inter-planted crops, are natural fertilizers. Birds and insects control pests. These practices make for healthier soil, preventing water pollution as well as improving the ecosystem of the farm. Pollution is further minimized by reducing water use during coffee processing.

Buying organic coffee means supporting farmers and a great care for the environment. It means thinking globally - beyond your own cup.