How Do Organic Coffee Beans Taste_ Where Can I Buy Organic Coffee Beans_ How Much Do Organic Coffee Beans Cost

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Based on years of experience, people who ask this kind of question may not necessarily be interested in "What is organic coffee?" What they truly care about is actually "Are organic coffee beans safer and more delicious?" Therefore, I want to discuss organic coffee beans broadly.

What is Organic Coffee and How is it Considered Organic?

Organic coffee is coffee produced using organic farming methods. To understand organic coffee, one must first understand organic farming, a concept that originated in 1924.

In 1924, a group of farmers concerned about the future of agricultural development sought help from Dr. Rudolf Steiner, who was renowned in Germany at the time. Steiner subsequently delivered a series of lectures on the ecological and sustainable approach to agriculture, advocating for increasing soil fertility and producing healthy products without using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. His main concept was that crop cultivation should not pollute the environment, destroy ecosystems, and should provide consumers with healthy and safe products.

According to this concept, all chemicals used in organic farming, including fertilizers, pest control drugs, etc., should come entirely from nature, not from laboratories or factories. For example, as a nitrogen fertilizer, nitrates from natural mineral sources are considered organic, while nitrates manufactured by chemical plants cannot be considered organic.

The "Green Revolution" in Contrast to "Organic Farming"

However, in 1924, the global trend in agricultural development was toward industrialization and commercialization, with increasing yield as the primary consideration. Consequently, the concept of organic farming did not receive much attention. It wasn't until 1940, through the efforts of American playwright and publisher J.I. Rodale, that it gradually became known to the world, but it was still a long way from "widespread acceptance." One important reason was that precisely in 1940, the Green Revolution掀起浪潮, with farmers extensively using fertilizers and pesticides to expand production. The successive emergence of "miracle wheat" and "miracle rice" pushed this wave to its peak.

In 1953, American scientist Norman Borlaug developed "miracle wheat" in Mexico, with yields five times that of traditional wheat varieties, transforming Mexico and India from wheat importers to wheat exporters (Borlaug won the 1970 Nobel Prize for this). In 1968, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) developed "miracle rice" in the Philippines, with yields increasing by at least 2.5 times.

By the 1970s, this wave finally swept coffee into its fold.

Sun-Grown Coffee Technology

Those with some knowledge of coffee know that coffee bushes, although tropical plants, whether Arabica or Robusta varieties, grow under the shade of tall trees in their native natural environments, because coffee trees do not need and cannot tolerate excessive sunlight.

Botanical research has found that for photosynthesis in coffee trees in equatorial regions, the optimal sunlight requirement is only 20%-25%. Exceeding this ratio, upper leaves no longer absorb sunlight, but it penetrates and is absorbed by lower leaves. This excess sunlight can indeed promote flower buds and produce more fruit.

During the peak of the Green Revolution in the 1970s, scientists developed sun-grown coffee technology, enabling coffee trees to grow without shade trees. Many coffee farmers were therefore encouraged to cut down shade trees and plant only coffee as a single crop. This not only expanded the planting area but also increased the yield per tree. Accompanying problems, such as insufficient soil fertility and increased pests, were solved by extensive spraying of fertilizers and pesticides.

The Choice Between Shade Trees and No Shade Trees

Shade trees offer numerous benefits to coffee trees, such as:

(1) Blocking excess sunlight;

(2) Protecting soil and water sources;

(3) The cool environment under shade trees can reduce pests;

(4) Minerals from deep in the soil can be brought to the surface through dead branches and fallen leaves, increasing topsoil fertility;

(5) Providing habitat for birds and bats, suppressing some pest populations;

(6) Can lower the temperature around coffee fruits, thereby slowing fruit maturation time and nurturing richer flavors.

However, cutting down shade trees, although coffee production increased, came at a considerable cost: Earth's ecosystem was affected, natural resources gradually depleted due to overuse, and consequently, coffee quality began to decline. Moreover, farmers were constrained by chemical product prices and powerless to resist. These adverse effects became apparent after the energy crisis erupted.

Artificial herbicides and pesticides have never been cheap. Take a recent example: from 2007 to 2008, the prices of such products increased by more than double in many regions worldwide.

Energy Crisis Promotes "Organic Coffee" Development

The first energy crisis occurred in 1973. Since then, people began to realize that Earth's various resources are limited. In agriculture, once the environment is polluted, not only are ecosystems damaged, but productivity also declines accordingly. How to maintain environmental quality and living standards while ensuring sustainable development became an important issue for humanity. Consequently, many countries successively established organic agriculture regulations and implemented "certification" systems. Agriculture began moving toward organic and sustainable directions.

Coffee, as an important part of agriculture and also an internationally traded commodity, could not remain outside this trend. After the 1970s, the momentum of the Green Revolution waned, and many coffee farmers returned to traditional methods: planting coffee trees under shade trees, replacing some or all chemical synthetic fertilizers with organic fertilizers, preparing natural pesticide sprays or creating traps to lure pests, cultivating natural enemies that can control diseases and pests, and so on.

Oak is one excellent choice for shade trees.

Why Are People Willing to Pay More for "Organic Coffee"?

However, meeting all the requirements for organic coffee is not easy. Besides increased labor costs, coffee yields are significantly lower compared to "non-organic" coffee that uses chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Although coffee can increase its selling price due to improved flavor, the increase may not necessarily compensate for the losses. At this point, the organic certification system demonstrates its effectiveness, because once labeled with "organic," people are naturally willing to pay more to buy it.

Why are people willing to pay more for organic coffee? Surveys show that people who buy organic coffee usually have the following three thoughts:

(1) Believing that organic coffee is safer;

(2) Believing that organic coffee has better flavor;

(3) Believing that paying a little more can help coffee farmers and protect the Earth's environment.

Can Organic Coffee Meet People's Expectations?

1. Is Organic Coffee Safer?

The promotional slogan for organic coffee, "no pesticide residues, no artificial chemicals," is indeed very attractive. But in fact, whether coffee is organic or non-organic, green beans almost never contain any artificial chemicals.

One example can illustrate this: In 1993, a large-scale test was conducted analyzing 60 samples of green coffee beans from 21 countries. Results found trace pesticide residues in only seven percent of the beans. Moreover, even if residues remain, during the "first crack" stage essential to the roasting process, at temperatures averaging between 204-209°C, almost all non-organic chemical residues volatilize completely. Therefore, "safety" cannot be considered the exclusive domain of organic coffee.

2. Does Organic Coffee Have Better Flavor?

Because organic coffee generally plants coffee trees under shade trees, the shade creates a cool micro-environment, lowering the temperature around coffee fruits (by as much as 4 degrees). Fruit maturation time is therefore slowed, nurturing richer substances. In terms of flavor, it indeed surpasses sun-grown coffee.

However, shade trees are not exclusive to organic coffee. There are other certified coffees, such as sustainable coffee, which is closely related to organic coffee. Most of these are also grown under shade trees and can similarly produce superior-flavored coffee. The restrictions for sustainable coffee are not as strict as for organic coffee; certain approved artificial chemicals are permitted. From this perspective, "flavor" is also not exclusive to organic coffee.

There are exceptions to the shade tree approach. For example, the famous coffee-producing region Kona in Hawaii doesn't need shade trees because natural cloud formations provide appropriate shade daily, making it one of the few growing areas without shade trees.

3. Can Organic Coffee Truly "Help Coffee Farmers and Protect the Earth's Environment"?

Since "safety" and "flavor" are not exclusive to organic coffee, we have to say that only (3), helping coffee farmers and protecting the Earth's environment, better meets expectations. However, the current "organic certification" system still has many shortcomings, making this expectation born of moral sense and social responsibility somewhat discounted.

The Criticized "Organic Certification"

The organic certification system is probably criticized most for the following two items:

(1) Many coffees labeled "organic certified" actually do not meet regulations. For example, USDA inspectors typically visit coffee plantations only one day per year, and unless someone reports violations, they generally do not conduct soil tests or tissue tests. As for the days outside of inspections, only the coffee farmers themselves know whether they have done anything against regulations.

(2) Certification fees are too high. Take Costa Rica as an example: for a 3-4 hectare coffee plantation, the annual certification fee is $700, and this is just for Costa Rica's domestic certification. If additionally applying for USDA certification, the cost is even higher. Therefore, some poor small-scale coffee farmers, whose growing methods clearly meet all "organic" requirements, cannot obtain certification because they cannot afford the annual fees.

For example, in famous coffee-producing countries like Ethiopia and Yemen, farmers use the most primitive "organic" growing methods because they cannot afford pesticides and fertilizers, but coffees labeled "organic certified" from these two countries are almost nonexistent. Conversely, there are also some plantations that have obtained certification but are actually not genuine.

Besides these two most criticized points, there are of course other shortcomings, such as the frequent occurrence of inspectors accepting bribes and relaxing inspection standards, but we won't discuss these here.

Choosing Organic or Non-Organic?

For example, we all know that Kenyan coffee is famous and has produced many high-quality specialty beans, but if a coffee farmer in Kenya wanted to practice organic coffee cultivation, would it work? Probably not.

Because almost the entire territory of Kenya has mold that threatens coffee trees and causes them to wither and die, pesticides must be used regularly to ensure productivity. However, if insisting on organic cultivation to eliminate pesticides, the only way is to plant new tree varieties that can resist this mold.

Then another problem arises: the typical blackcurrant and blueberry aroma that makes Kenya famous, along with its bright, gorgeous acidity and rich flavor, is the result of its unique combination of tree species and local soil conditions - which is why Kenyan coffee prices are significantly higher than its neighboring country Tanzania. If new tree varieties are used, obviously the same excellent taste cannot be achieved.

So whether to prioritize results or methods, choosing organic or non-organic - this requires consumers to decide for themselves.

The Path of Organic Coffee

Difficult, Long, Yet Necessary

Although promoting organic coffee is full of difficulties, from a long-term perspective, it is still a path that must be taken. Especially in recent years, as global warming has accelerated, coffee has also been greatly impacted, and conditions in many areas originally suitable for coffee cultivation have begun to deteriorate. Experts point out that organic agriculture inherently has a mitigating effect on warming phenomena, and organic coffee cultivation, especially the practice of planting shade trees, is one of the good strategies to slow global warming.

I sincerely hope there will come a day when all coffee is organic coffee beans, so at least it won't be like today, when I face the choice between "good flavor" and "organic" and can only choose one, often making a decision yet feeling a trace of guilt in my heart.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

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