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What is Organic Coffee?

Organic coffee beans are coffee beans produced through organic farming methods. To understand organic coffee, we must first understand organic farming, a concept that originated in 1924.

The Origins of Organic Farming

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 methods that increase soil fertility and produce healthy products without using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. His main concept was that crop cultivation should not pollute the environment, damage ecosystems, and should provide consumers with healthy and safe products.

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

However, during the 1920s, the global trend in agricultural development was toward industrialization and commercialization, with prioritizing increased production. Therefore, 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 the concept gradually became known to the world, but it was still far from "widespread acceptance." One important reason for this was that in 1940, the Green Revolution gained momentum, with farmers extensively using fertilizers and pesticides to expand production. The successive emergence of "miracle wheat" and "miracle rice" [Note 1] pushed this wave to its peak. By the 1970s, this trend finally swept coffee into its wake.

The Hidden Costs of Coffee Production

Many people drink coffee seeking the alertness that comes with caffeine or satisfying their sensory cravings. But while satisfying these needs, have they ever considered whether this cup of coffee is filled with pesticides or the blood and tears of small farmers?

The global coffee trade volume is second only to oil, mostly produced through large-scale, single-crop industrial methods. This approach has satisfied many people's taste buds but has also brought concerns about pesticide residues and environmental harm.

Some reports indicate that pesticides disappear during coffee roasting, but other studies have shown that roasted coffee beans can still be tested for pesticide residues. However, what truly needs to be understood is that many pesticides used in coffee-producing countries may be ones that have already been banned in advanced Western countries. Many farmers have only a partial understanding of pesticides and use "cocktail" mixtures for powerful pest control. This not only harms farmers' health but also causes environmental damage such as soil erosion, soil depletion, and water source pollution.

Disposing of expired pesticides is also a very challenging problem. According to surveys by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Africa alone has 50,000 metric tons of expired pesticides stored in poor environmental conditions. It's estimated that handling these...

The Economic Reality of Farmers

The reason farmers use pesticides is simply to increase sales. According to surveys, one hectare of farmland using conventional farming methods can produce 485 pounds of coffee beans, but using organic cultivation methods yields only 285 pounds.

Although there's high market demand for organic coffee beans, after monopolization and suppression by major distribution channels, purchase prices continue to drop. Farmers work harder but don't earn more, preferring to return to old methods and use pesticides to continue boosting production. Climate variations caused by global warming have led to abnormal pest outbreaks, forcing farmers to choose pesticides to survive when they cannot raise prices. However, they often lack proper knowledge of pesticide use or wear masks and gloves to protect themselves.

Recent research has found that many farmers experience dizziness, headaches, difficulty breathing, or lung pain due to long-term exposure to pesticide environments. Tragically, this is a common phenomenon in 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-seeking comes from exploiting producers, exacerbating poverty problems in coffee-producing countries that urgently need change.

Fair Trade Movement

Therefore, to make better choices for ourselves and the planet, ensuring growers receive reasonable compensation, the fair trade movement emerged from consumer consciousness. After 60 years of development and refinement, it has gradually formed a certification mechanism with transparent production chains to ensure sustainable development in social, economic, environmental, and ecological aspects at the production end.

The standards for International Fair Trade Certification (FLO Certification) are established by Fairtrade International and implemented by the independent third-party organization FLOCERT for auditing and supervision functions. The core spirit of certification is to cultivate disadvantaged and impoverished producers toward economic independence, to reverse unfair power structures in trade, change business models that continuously exploit land and producers, and improve the structural problems behind poverty issues.

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)

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