How Is Organic Coffee Grown?

The importance of organic coffee to many people is on the up. This is for the simple reason that is offers a greener solution to the growing of coffee. It is better for the environment, the trees, the wildlife as well as the farmers themselves. It is therefore important to understand why this is the case and how this coffee is grown.

First of all, there are no pesticides or herbicides or any form of chemicals used in the generation of this coffee. For this coffee to be produced, the soil needs to be maintained to a sufficient level of quality. This results in greater productivity and the protection against disease.

There is regular rotations of crops, and in order to make sure that nutrients regularly replenish the soil, the plantations are interspersed with fruit trees and nut trees. This ensures that the land remains fertile for generations and means that farmers do not have to clear away trees to make space.

Organic coffee is largely a family owned enterprise, in that it is largely grown by families on small farms rather than larger companies. These smaller farms benefit from having additional crops in the fruit and nut trees around the plantations. They also charge a higher premium per pound of about 15 cents than conventional coffee farmers, reflecting the greater labour requirements of growing the coffee.

Organic coffee is commonly ’shade tree grown’ beneath a canopy of trees that helps to filter the sun. This is often referred to as ‘bird-friendly’ coffee as it helps to maintain the natural habitat of for birds and other wildlife. This can result in up to 150 species of bird on a shaded coffee farm as opposed to less than 20 on a conventional one.

Beans that grow in this habitat actually mature more slowly than regularly grown beans. To many people this given them a superior taste and a finer texture.