Organic Coffee or Conventional Coffee? What Pleases You The Most?
Passionate coffee lovers are enthusiastic individuals who not only know how to enjoy a cup of Joe most creatively at different hours of the day, but are also knowledgeable about other aspects, including aromas, flavors and origins. If you are a coffee lover, you must be surely aware of what creates a perfect blend and how you can set up a perfect mood with the best coffee-and-food pairings. However, did you ever give a thought on what differentiates coffee on two broad aspects, namely conventional and organic, before it reaches you in the processed form? Do you know what it means to be a lover of organic coffee?
With over 12 billion pounds of coffee being produced every year, coffee is one of the most widely traded commodities in the world. With a view to meet this tremendous demand, coffee producers have developed farming methods that are dedicated to maximizing production. However, the consequences of such farming practices have translated into adverse human and environmental impacts. Strikingly, the coffee that we enjoy daily is the outcome of such invasive practices that often harm Mother Earth. This is conventional coffee and we have already got introduced to it, knowingly or unknowingly.
Coffee that is produced conventionally requires heavy use of pesticides, fungicides, synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides. Intense chemical use impacts the environment, the farmers during growing and harvest times, and the surrounding communities as well. The presence of chemical residues in air and water are not just unacceptable, but it is highly detrimental to human health. On the other hand, organic coffee production methods do not rely on the use of synthetic fertilizers, which not only ensures a cleaner earth, but cleaner coffee beans as well. Farmers deploying organic farming methods use organic fertilizers such as coffee pulp, compost, and chicken manure, which translates into the presence of richer antioxidants in organic coffee and some of you can even feel it.
Coffee is grown best under a natural shade, but it requires a lot of effort to support production in densely-forested areas. Moreover, it is quite difficult to promote mass production in natural forests. Conventional coffee growers address this issue by clearing forests and developing hybrids that can grow under open sun. Destruction of forests leads to the destruction of the region’s flora and fauna. Natural pest deterrents, such as birds and lizards, are thrown out of their habitat which, in turn, promotes the increased use of synthetic pesticides. During rains, increased soil erosion and water runoff leads to the transportation of toxic chemicals to the neighbouring communities’ water supplies. On the other hand, organic coffee is grown in natural environments, in densely forested areas, preserving the regional ecosystems as well as soil fertility. These natural forest-farms are better equipped to manage unusual weather conditions and climate change, which make them a safer investment for organic coffee growers.
So what is your choice? Isn’t it a great feeling when you are able to enjoy a cup of coffee knowing that it did not harm Mother Earth in any way and it retains all the goodness of nature? Practices can change or rather improve based on your choice and when you actually choose the right path, you make a move to support initiatives that promote healthy ecosystems, sustainable farming practices, and richer coffee.
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