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What is Organic Coffee?

Organic coffee beans are beans produced through organic farming methods. To understand organic coffee, we first have to understand organic farming—a concept that dates back to 1924.

The Origins of Organic Farming

In 1924, a group of farmers worried about the future of agriculture sought out Dr. Rudolf Steiner, who was highly regarded in Germany at the time. Steiner went on to deliver a series of lectures on an ecological, sustainable approach to farming, arguing for methods that build soil fertility and produce healthy crops without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. His central idea was that cultivation should not pollute the environment or damage ecosystems, and should deliver healthy, safe products to consumers.

Under this idea, every chemical used in organic farming, whether fertilizer or pest control, must come entirely from nature rather than from a laboratory or a factory. Nitrates mined from natural deposits, for instance, count as organic when used as a nitrogen fertilizer, while nitrates manufactured in a chemical plant do not.

During the 1920s, however, the global trend in agriculture was toward industrialization and commercialization, with output as the priority. Organic farming therefore drew little attention. It was not until 1940, through the efforts of the American playwright and publisher J.I. Rodale, that the idea gradually became known around the world, and even then it was far from widely accepted. One major reason was that in 1940 the Green Revolution was gathering force, with farmers applying fertilizers and pesticides on a huge scale to expand production. The arrival of "miracle wheat" and "miracle rice" [Note 1] pushed that wave to its peak. By the 1970s the current had finally swept coffee into its wake.

The Hidden Costs of Coffee Production

Many people drink coffee for the alertness that caffeine brings, or simply to satisfy a sensory craving. But in meeting those needs, how often do they stop to ask whether the cup in front of them is full of pesticide residues, or of the blood and tears of small farmers?

Global coffee trade volume is second only to oil, and most of it is produced through large-scale, single-crop industrial methods. That approach has pleased a great many palates, but it has also raised concerns about pesticide residues and environmental harm.

Some reports claim that pesticides disappear during roasting, while other studies have found that roasted coffee beans can still test positive for residues. What really matters is that many pesticides used in coffee-producing countries are ones already banned in advanced Western nations. Many farmers understand pesticides only partially and mix "cocktail" blends for maximum pest control. This harms farmers' own health and also causes environmental damage such as soil erosion, soil depletion, and polluted water sources.

Disposing of expired pesticides is another formidable problem. Surveys by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) show that Africa alone holds 50,000 metric tons of expired pesticides in poor storage conditions. The task of safely handling these stockpiles is enormous.

The Economic Reality of Farmers

Farmers reach for pesticides simply to increase what they can sell. Surveys show that one hectare of land under conventional farming can produce 485 pounds of coffee beans, whereas organic cultivation yields only 285 pounds.

Although demand for organic coffee beans is strong, purchase prices keep falling after monopolization and pressure from major distribution channels. Farmers work harder without earning more, so they prefer to return to old methods and use pesticides to keep production up. Climate shifts caused by global warming bring abnormal pest outbreaks, forcing farmers who cannot raise their prices to choose pesticides in order to survive. Yet they often lack proper knowledge of how to use them, or of the need to wear masks and gloves for protection.

Recent research has found that many farmers suffer dizziness, headaches, breathing difficulty, or lung pain from long-term exposure to pesticides. Tragically, this is common across many coffee-producing countries. Even more tragic is that international coffee futures prices have long been controlled by multinational corporations. In the pursuit of corporate "sustainable" growth, profit is extracted from producers, deepening the poverty that coffee-growing regions urgently need to escape.

The Fair Trade Movement

To make better choices for ourselves and for the planet, and to ensure growers are fairly paid, the fair trade movement grew out of consumer awareness. After 60 years of development and refinement, it has gradually formed a certification mechanism with transparent production chains, safeguarding social, economic, environmental, and ecological sustainability at the production end.

The standards for International Fair Trade Certification (FLO Certification) are set by Fairtrade International and audited by the independent third-party body FLOCERT. The core spirit of the certification is to guide disadvantaged, impoverished producers toward economic independence, to reverse unfair power structures in trade, to change business models that endlessly exploit land and producers, and to address the structural problems behind poverty.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the organic conversation has you thinking about clean, transparent cups, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Gedeb cooperative beans from Ethiopia are a fine place to start. This is a G1-grade lot from the Gedeb processing station in Yirgacheffe, given the classic washed treatment, and it shows the elegant white florals, citrus, orange, and green-tea character that makes Yirgacheffe such a welcoming entry into single-origin coffee.

For a washed Geisha that stays just as clean, FrontStreet Coffee's Boquete Geisha comes from Panama's most representative specialty region and is gently washed, so the variety's tangerine-honey sweetness and delicate, clearly separated fruit acidity come through without any noise. It is one of the best-value ways to experience the character of Panama Geisha.