The Development History of Organic Coffee | Is Organic Coffee Good | Why People Buy Organic Coffee Beans at Premium Prices

What is Organic Coffee?

Organic coffee is coffee produced through organic farming methods. To understand it, we first have to understand organic farming, a concept that originated in 1924.

In 1924 a group of farmers concerned about the future of agriculture sought help from Dr. Rudolf Steiner, who was renowned in Germany at the time. Steiner subsequently delivered a series of lectures on ecological and sustainable approaches to agriculture, advocating methods that increase soil fertility and produce healthy crops without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. His central idea was that cultivation should not pollute the environment or destroy ecosystems, and should give consumers healthy, safe products.

According to this idea, every chemical used in organic farming, including fertilizers and pest-control substances, should come entirely from nature rather than from a laboratory or factory. Nitrates from natural mineral sources, for example, count as organic nitrogen fertilizer, while nitrates manufactured by chemical plants do not.

The Green Revolution in Contrast to Organic Farming

In 1924, however, the global trend in agriculture was toward industrialization and commercialization, with yield improvement 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 organic farming became gradually known, yet it was still far from widespread acceptance. One important reason was that in 1940 the Green Revolution was gathering momentum, with farmers using large amounts of fertilizer and pesticide to expand production. The successive arrival of "miracle wheat" and "miracle rice" pushed the wave to its peak.

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

By the 1970s, this wave had finally reached coffee as well.

Sun-Grown Coffee Cultivation Technology

Anyone with some coffee knowledge knows that coffee trees, being shrubs, are tropical plants. Yet whether Arabica or Robusta, in their native environments they grow under the shade of tall trees, because coffee trees neither need nor tolerate excessive sunlight.

Botanical research has found that for coffee trees in equatorial regions to photosynthesize, the optimal sunlight ratio is only 20%-25%. Beyond that ratio, the upper leaves no longer absorb sunlight but let it pass through to the lower leaves. This excess sunlight can promote flower-bud formation and produce more fruit.

At the peak of the Green Revolution in the 1970s, scientists developed sun-grown coffee cultivation, letting coffee trees grow without shade trees. Many farmers were encouraged to cut down the shade trees and grow coffee as a single crop, which expanded the planting area and raised per-tree yields. Associated problems, such as insufficient soil fertility and heavier pest damage, were handled by spraying large amounts of fertilizer and pesticide.

The Choice Between Shade-Grown and Sun-Grown Coffee

Shade trees offer coffee trees numerous benefits, such as:

(1) Blocking excess sunlight;
(2) Protecting soil and water sources;
(3) The cooler environment beneath shade trees can reduce pest damage;
(4) Minerals from deep soil layers are brought to the surface through dead branches and fallen leaves, increasing topsoil fertility;
(5) Providing habitat for birds and bats, which helps control certain pest populations;
(6) Lowering the temperature around the coffee cherries, slowing fruit maturation and developing more complex flavours.

Cutting down shade trees certainly increased production, but at considerable cost: ecosystems suffered, natural resources were gradually depleted through overuse, and coffee quality began to decline. Farmers also became dependent on chemical prices with no power to resist. These negative effects became clear after the energy crisis erupted.

Artificial herbicides and pesticides have never been cheap. A recent example: from 2007 to 2008, their prices more than doubled in many regions worldwide.

The Energy Crisis Promoted the Development of Organic Coffee

The first energy crisis occurred in 1973. Since then, people have begun to realize that Earth's resources are finite. In agriculture, once the environment is polluted, ecosystems are destroyed and productivity declines accordingly. How to maintain environmental quality and living standards while ensuring sustainable development became an important question for humanity. Consequently, many countries established organic agriculture regulations and certification systems, and farming began moving in an organic, sustainable direction.

Coffee, as an important part of agriculture and a major international commodity, could not stay outside this trend. After the 1970s the momentum of the Green Revolution waned, and many coffee farmers returned to traditional methods: planting coffee under shade trees, replacing some or all chemical fertilizers with organic ones, preparing natural pesticide sprays or traps, and cultivating natural enemies that control pests and diseases.

Oak trees are an excellent choice for shade trees.

Why Are People Willing to Pay More for Organic Coffee?

Meeting every requirement for organic coffee is not easy. Besides higher labour costs, yields are significantly lower than for "non-organic" coffee grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Although coffee can be sold at higher prices thanks to improved flavour, the increase may not compensate for the losses. Here the organic certification system shows its value, because once labelled "organic," people are naturally willing to pay more.

Why are people willing to pay more for organic coffee? Surveys show that buyers usually have one of three motivations:

(1) Believing that organic coffee is safer;
(2) Believing that organic coffee has better flavour;
(3) Believing that paying a little more can help coffee farmers and protect the environment.

Does Organic Coffee Meet People's Expectations?

Is Organic Coffee Safer?

The marketing claim for organic coffee, "no pesticide residues, no artificial chemicals," is certainly attractive. But in fact, whether coffee is organic or not, raw beans almost never contain artificial chemicals.

One example illustrates this: in 1993 a large-scale analysis of 60 samples of raw coffee beans from 21 countries found that only 7% contained trace amounts of pesticide residue. Moreover, even when residues remain, during roasting at the "first crack" point, with temperatures averaging between 204-209°C, almost all non-organic chemical residues evaporate completely. "Safety," therefore, cannot be considered the exclusive domain of organic coffee.

Does Organic Coffee Have Better Flavor?

Because organic coffee is generally grown under shade trees, the shade creates a cool microclimate, lowering the temperature around the cherries (by as much as 4 degrees), which slows fruit maturation and allows more complex compounds to develop. In flavour terms it does surpass sun-grown coffee.

Shade-grown cultivation, however, is not exclusive to organic coffee. Other certified coffees, such as sustainable coffee (closely related to organic), are mostly grown under shade trees too and can produce similarly superior flavour. The restrictions for sustainable coffee are not as strict as for organic, and certain approved artificial chemicals are permitted. From this angle, "flavour" is not exclusive to organic coffee either.

There are exceptions to shade-growing. Hawaii's famous Kona region, for instance, does not require shade trees, because natural cloud cover provides appropriate shading every day.

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

Since "safety" and "flavour" are not exclusive to organic coffee, the expectation that best holds up is (3): helping coffee farmers and protecting the environment. Yet the current organic certification system still has significant shortcomings, which somewhat undercuts these expectations born of moral sense and social responsibility.

The Criticized "Organic Certification" System

The organic certification system is criticized mainly for two issues:

(1) Many coffees labelled "organic certified" do not actually meet the rules. Inspectors from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), for example, typically visit a plantation for only one day a year, and unless someone files a complaint they generally do not conduct soil or tissue tests. As for the days outside inspection visits, only the farmers themselves know whether they are violating the rules.

(2) Certification fees are too high. In Costa Rica, for example, a 3-4 hectare plantation pays $700 a year, and that covers only local Costa Rican certification. Applying for additional USDA certification costs even more. As a result, some poor smallholders whose methods clearly meet every "organic" standard cannot obtain certification because they cannot afford the annual fee.

In famous producing countries such as Ethiopia and Yemen, for example, farmers use the most primitive "organic" methods because they cannot afford pesticides and fertilizers, yet coffee labelled "organic certified" from these two countries is virtually nonexistent. Conversely, many plantations hold certification while not genuinely complying.

Beyond these two much-criticized points there are of course other shortcomings, such as inspectors frequently accepting bribes and relaxing standards, but we won't discuss those here.

Choosing Between Organic and Conventional Coffee

We all know, for example, that Kenyan coffee is famous and has produced many high-quality specialty beans. But if a Kenyan coffee farmer wanted to farm organically, would it be possible? Probably not.

That is because almost the entire territory of Kenya carries a mould that threatens coffee trees and can cause them to wither and die, so pesticides must be used regularly to protect productivity. To insist on organic cultivation without pesticides, the only solution would be to plant new tree varieties that resist the mould.

But then another problem arises: the typical blackcurrant and blueberry aromas, the bright and splendid acidity, and the rich flavour that give Kenyan coffee its reputation are the product of its unique varieties combined with specific terroir, which is why Kenyan coffee commands significantly higher prices than its neighbour Tanzania's. With new tree varieties, it would obviously be impossible to produce equally exceptional flavour.

So whether to prioritize results or methods, choosing organic or conventional, is a decision consumers must make for themselves.

The Path of Organic Coffee

Difficult, long, yet necessary.

Although promoting organic coffee is full of challenges, in the long run it remains a path that must be taken. Especially in recent years, as global warming has accelerated, coffee has been greatly affected, and conditions in many areas once suitable for cultivation have begun to deteriorate. Experts point out that organic agriculture inherently mitigates warming, and organic coffee cultivation, particularly the practice of planting shade trees, is one of the good strategies for slowing it.

I sincerely hope that one day all coffee will be organic, so that at least I won't face today's choice between "good flavour" and "organic," picking one and often feeling a trace of guilt.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Whether or not a bean carries a certification, FrontStreet focuses on transparency and traceability at the entry level. FrontStreet's washed Guodingding Cooperative is a classic Yirgacheffe starting point: clean, with jasmine florals, lemon acidity, and berry notes.

Brazil is the other easy entry point. FrontStreet's Cerrado Red Bourbon is a friendly everyday single-origin, medium roasted with cream, peanut, toast, caramel, and hazelnut, a rounded low-acid body, and a faint bitterness.

For anyone who dislikes acidity, FrontStreet's Indonesia Lintong Mandheling uses the region's wet-hulled process, giving a fuller, smoother body than FrontStreet's Blue Mountain with herbal, spice, and dark-chocolate notes; the higher-grade PWN Golden Mandheling adds a triple hand-sort and machine-sort for a cleaner, sweeter, more clearly woody and caramel cup.