3 Reasons Why You Should Be Drinking Organic Coffee
It might come as a surprise to find that coffee is the single most popular drink on the planet – or you might be a die-hard coffee drinker and find it difficult to imagine any other possibility. In fact, whether you drink coffee or not, it is always there. There is at least one coffee shop on every high street, rows and rows of special blends and organic varieties on our supermarket shelves.
We now regularly go out to ‘grab’ a coffee with friends in the same way as we would a quick lunch – it has become an inextricable part of modern life for many people. Yet, there are still so many questions to ask about this wonder bean. How is it grown and why has it always been more expensive than tea leaves? Why can it only be grown in certain parts of the world? What is the difference between a regular and an organic coffee blend?
What are the Benefits of Drinking Organic Coffee?
Environmental Benefits
In order to cut the costs associated with growing and producing coffee, as well meet the huge international demand for coffee beans, most large scale commercial companies have turned to unscrupulous techniques to produce bigger and bigger turnovers. For example, millions of hectares of rain forest are lost every year to developers looking for more room in which to set up mono-culture farms. These farms then damage the environment further by destroying the soil with harsh chemicals.
The impact of unsustainable coffee farming is extraordinarily far reaching and has consequences which most consumers have not even thought to imagine. For instance, deforestation has a devastating impact on the life and health of migratory bird populations, which are decreasing in number because they have fewer locations in which to roost during the winter. It is true that organic coffee is a little bit more expensive than standard stuff, but the benefits to the environment are essential.
Health Benefits
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 60% of all herbicides, 30% of all insecticides, and a whopping 90% of all fungicides contain cancer causing properties. If you buy produce grown using pesticides and additive chemicals, these substances enter your body as you eat. Whilst the medical research into the long term effects of exposure to this kind of carcinogen are still in their infancy, it is now thought that they can build up within body fat and damage the nervous system.
The risks associated with pregnant women have been of particular concern over the last five years or so, because there is evidence to suggest that pregnant and nursing mothers who ingest carcinogenic chemicals may pass them onto their babies through the placenta or through breast milk. Plus, some pesticides have been linked with significant development and behavior disorders.
Given those facts about herbicides and pesticides, you might also want to consider that coffee beans are one of the most heavily sprayed of all agricultural products. That makes it all the more important to be sure that, in addition to your other organics foods, your coffee is also organically certified.
Local Benefits
It is not necessarily the case that the best organic coffee is also Fair Trade, or vice versa, but you do tend to find that the two come hand in hand. In fact, around 85% of all Fair Trade blends are grown organically and the vast majority of Fair Trade companies spend a lot of time working with local farmers to produce sustainable growing techniques. The idea is that local growers are given the support that they need to create and use farming methods which do not take more than needed from the environment.
It is also important to note that organic producers are almost always paid more for their labor than standard growers. This is part of the contract between an ethical consumer and a local grower – yes, you may be paying a little more for your organic coffee beans, but the bottom line is that you get a top quality product (free from harmful chemicals) and the farmer is paid fairly for their work. On the other hand, there is a baseline boundary for the price of organic coffee, which protects consumers.
Things to Think About When Buying Coffee
In order for a coffee to be officially recognized as organic and sold as such, the grower must first provide proof that their beans and the soil which contains them are both entirely free from fertilizers, chemicals, and pesticides. Although organic certification is still in its infancy, you are safest in finding coffee beans marked with the USDA Organic label.
Follow the advice above and you can make the most popular drink on the planet one that’s also healthy for you and the environment!
We now regularly go out to ‘grab’ a coffee with friends in the same way as we would a quick lunch – it has become an inextricable part of modern life for many people. Yet, there are still so many questions to ask about this wonder bean. How is it grown and why has it always been more expensive than tea leaves? Why can it only be grown in certain parts of the world? What is the difference between a regular and an organic coffee blend?
What are the Benefits of Drinking Organic Coffee?
Environmental Benefits
In order to cut the costs associated with growing and producing coffee, as well meet the huge international demand for coffee beans, most large scale commercial companies have turned to unscrupulous techniques to produce bigger and bigger turnovers. For example, millions of hectares of rain forest are lost every year to developers looking for more room in which to set up mono-culture farms. These farms then damage the environment further by destroying the soil with harsh chemicals.
The impact of unsustainable coffee farming is extraordinarily far reaching and has consequences which most consumers have not even thought to imagine. For instance, deforestation has a devastating impact on the life and health of migratory bird populations, which are decreasing in number because they have fewer locations in which to roost during the winter. It is true that organic coffee is a little bit more expensive than standard stuff, but the benefits to the environment are essential.
Health Benefits
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 60% of all herbicides, 30% of all insecticides, and a whopping 90% of all fungicides contain cancer causing properties. If you buy produce grown using pesticides and additive chemicals, these substances enter your body as you eat. Whilst the medical research into the long term effects of exposure to this kind of carcinogen are still in their infancy, it is now thought that they can build up within body fat and damage the nervous system.
The risks associated with pregnant women have been of particular concern over the last five years or so, because there is evidence to suggest that pregnant and nursing mothers who ingest carcinogenic chemicals may pass them onto their babies through the placenta or through breast milk. Plus, some pesticides have been linked with significant development and behavior disorders.
Given those facts about herbicides and pesticides, you might also want to consider that coffee beans are one of the most heavily sprayed of all agricultural products. That makes it all the more important to be sure that, in addition to your other organics foods, your coffee is also organically certified.
Local Benefits
It is not necessarily the case that the best organic coffee is also Fair Trade, or vice versa, but you do tend to find that the two come hand in hand. In fact, around 85% of all Fair Trade blends are grown organically and the vast majority of Fair Trade companies spend a lot of time working with local farmers to produce sustainable growing techniques. The idea is that local growers are given the support that they need to create and use farming methods which do not take more than needed from the environment.
It is also important to note that organic producers are almost always paid more for their labor than standard growers. This is part of the contract between an ethical consumer and a local grower – yes, you may be paying a little more for your organic coffee beans, but the bottom line is that you get a top quality product (free from harmful chemicals) and the farmer is paid fairly for their work. On the other hand, there is a baseline boundary for the price of organic coffee, which protects consumers.
Things to Think About When Buying Coffee
In order for a coffee to be officially recognized as organic and sold as such, the grower must first provide proof that their beans and the soil which contains them are both entirely free from fertilizers, chemicals, and pesticides. Although organic certification is still in its infancy, you are safest in finding coffee beans marked with the USDA Organic label.
Follow the advice above and you can make the most popular drink on the planet one that’s also healthy for you and the environment!