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Organic coffee Coffee-based drinks are the most widely consumed beverages in the world alongside water. In the United States alone, 400 million cups are drunk[1] by an estimated 56 percent of the adult population on a daily basis.[2] Made from the roasted seeds or beans of the coffee tree, coffee is produced both organically and conventionally in 53 countries—Brazil and Columbia being the most active producers.[3] Alongside tobacco, coffee is treated with more chemicals in the farming process than any other product farmed for human use.[4]

Paper products are a vital component to coffee culture and include takeaway cups, sleeves, and filters. According to a 2005 report published by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 44.9 million tons of paper products were taken to landfills, 0.97 million tons of that figure coming from disposable paper cups and plates alone.[5]

Eco-friendly alternatives

Organic Coffee

Like other agricultural products, methods have been developed to lessen detrimental environmental impact when harvesting coffee. The use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and genetically modified organisms in conventional coffee production not only destroys ecosystems surrounding plantations but also puts the health of the farmers themselves at risk. Although organic coffee production is booming—in 2005 sales amounted to $89 million in the United States alone[6]—it accounts for only about 0.6 percent of coffee sales worldwide according to the Organic Trade Association.[6]

To gain official organic certification in the United States, coffee must adhere to the criteria established by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA):

The coffee must be grown on land free of toxic substances for a minimum of three years.
There must be a buffer zone between coffee grown organically and coffee grown conventionally.
The producer must adhere to a sustainable rotation plan that promotes healthy soil and pest control.[6]

Certified organic coffee can be purchased nationwide at grocers and specialty shops and from online coffee purveyors. The market price for certified organic coffee can run as high as $.40/pound more than conventionally grown coffee.[7]

Shade-grown Coffee

Shade-grown coffee, often certified as Bird Friendly coffee, is frequently fairly traded and subject to predominately organic farming methods that access the natural sun-filtering shade of rain forest canopies and requires little or no use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Although growing coffee without direct sunlight is the traditional farming method it is slower and yields less crop, approximately 1/3 of that of shadeless methods.[8] This has lead to the deforestation of coffee plantations as worldwide demand for coffee grows.

Since 1972—the year when new hybrids of coffee that thrive in direct sunlight were introduced—over 60 percent of the 6 million acres of land used for coffee production have been stripped of their trees.[9] This has had a direct effect on biodiversity, namely the migratory songbird population that has steeply declined in recent years due to habitat loss. On coffee farms that have kept existing ecosystems intact, over 150 species of birds continue to thrive while on farms that have given way to shadeless growing only 20-50 species remain.[8] Shade-grown coffee currently represents 1 percent, or $30 million of the United State's market for coffee.[9]

Fair Trade Certified Coffee

In the United States, Fair Trade Certified coffee is marketed under strict guidelines set forth by Transfair USA, a nonprofit organization that monitors fair trade practices in developing agricultural communities under the larger umbrella association Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International (FLO). Fair trade fosters an economically and environmentally stable relationship between North American consumers and farmers in Asian, Latin American, and African countries while promoting safe, humane labor conditions.[10] Fair trade ensures that farmers make a living wage from their crop—a minimum of $1.26/pound.[11] Fair Trade Certified coffee is also environmentally friendly coffee. Fair trade coffee producers are commonly small holders and unable to invest in environmentally damaging practices such as synthetic pesticides and clear-cutting and instead direct premiums received for growing certified organic products toward concerns such as health care, housing, and education. The Organic Trade Association - Facts About Organic Coffee reports that around 85 percent of Fair Trade Certified coffee sold in the United States is also certified as being organic.[6]

Sustainably grown coffee

Sustainably grown coffee is a type of coffee grown with environmental and social concern that often overlaps with organic and shade-grown coffee. Farms that grow organically also tend to grow using sustainable methods, although many sustainably grown farms use conventional methods.[12] Sustainably grown coffee differs from Fair Trade Certified coffee in that it aims to improve the manner in which farms are managed rather than oversee the way coffee is traded.[13]

The primary objective in sustainably grown coffee production is to adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN). These include ecosystem conservation, economic practicality, and humane treatment of farmers.[14] If coffee is found to be grown under these guidelines it can receive Rainforest Alliance Certification by SAN. An example of producing coffee under Rainforest Alliance-approved conditions would be the practice of growing the crop in unexpected places, like along the sides of roads and around houses, thus eliminating the need for clear-cutting land and in turn, protecting natural habitats.[14]

Controversies

The growing trend toward eco-friendly alternatives to conventionally grown, mass-produced coffee does not go without censure. Fair Trade Certified coffee, in particular, has come under fire from economists claiming that the low price of coffee is due to overproduction and that the appeal of fair trade premiums is, in turn, triggering more and more coffee production when farmers should be switching to other crops. As a result, the price of non-fair Trade coffee drops and non-fair trade farmers sink deeper into poverty. Another objection to fair trade is that it is ineffective in relaying funds to poor producers. In addition to the higher base price of Fair Trade Certified products, retailers tack on additional mark-ups which leads consumers to believe that all of the extra premiums that they are paying go directly to the producer. In reality, a very small percent reaches the producer, reports economist Tim Harford.[15]

The move towards organic farming has also received a fair amount of criticism. Norman Borlaug, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, believes organic farming techniques to be detrimental to the environment. In a December 2006 issue of The Economist he cites that the low yields of organic farming calls for the destruction of more land while the use of the synthetic fertilizers allows farmers to harvest vast amounts of, for example, coffee, in a small area of cultivated land.[15] Borlaug received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on high-input crops that have increased world food supply, but has been criticized because of the resultant increase in reliance on monoculture cropping and inorganic fertilizer use.[16]

Fair Trade Certified and Organic Certified products are also accused of being devices that retailers use to target consumers to whom price is no objection, regardless of whether the product in question carries environmental and/or economic benefits.[15]

Related health issues

The caffeine found in both conventional and organic coffee is known to be an addictive stimulant and when not consumed in moderation, can lead to health-related issues such as increased heart rate and blood pressure.[17] Heavy coffee consumption can also yellow the teeth. Additionally, heath risks can arise from the chemical residue on pesticide-sprayed, conventionally grown coffee. The higher quality coffee beans farmed using organic methods contain less acid and caffeine and, furthermore, are gentler on the human body.[18]

Glossary

genetically modified organism: A genetically modified organism, or GMO, is the result of merging the genetic make-up of two organisms resulting in a desired byproduct that could otherwise not be found in nature. Engineering GMOs is a common practice in conventional farming, and studies have shown that GMOs pose significant environmental risks such as killing off living, natural organisms and becoming immune to pesticides.[19]
bird friendly coffee: Initiated in 2000, Bird Friendly coffee is a variation of Latin American grown shade coffee certified by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Bird Friendly is the only coffee on the market that is guaranteed to be both shade-grown and certified organic by a third-party using standards established by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center[20]

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