Organic Coffee

What is organic, How is it grown and why is inorganic such an issue? 

definition: 

Organic coffee is grown without the use of harmful pesticides or chemicals using processes and materials that have a natural impact on the environment. Recycling, composting and healthy soil are some of the environmental benefits. This is a healthy long-term farming method that is impacting the world. Coffee is the world’s second most valuable “traded” commodity (petroleum is the first). We drink it every day so organic does make a difference. It is estimated that 11 million hectares of the world’s farmland is dedicated to coffee cultivation and the annual consumption of coffee has expanded to 12 billion pounds. Organic is better for the earth and better for our bodies. Most of us drink at least one cup of coffee a day. By drinking organic there is lower risk of ingesting synthetics or chemicals that are used in a normal coffee bean growing process. Organic coffee is better for you, the farmers that grow it and the environment.

http://www.american.edu/TED/SHADECOF.HTM

A. Identification 1. The Issue During the 1960s-1970s, changes in growing techniques made the production of coffee increasingly more devastating to the environment. Coffee which was traditionally grown under a shade canopy was now being grown without a canopy, under the sun. The elimination of the shad canopy also eliminated a vibrant habitat for wildlife. Also, growing coffee under direct sunlight required a dramatic increase in the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides. 2. Description Traditionally, coffee was grown under a shade canopy. Coffee plantations managed in this traditional manner provided a vibrant agricultural habitat able to support a variety of species of migrants and other species that prefer or are restricted to forest habitats. In some cases, shade plantations have supported more than 150 species of birds; a greater number than is found in other agricultural habitats, and exceeded only in undisturbed tropical rain forests. Traditional coffee fields attract wildlife because they mimic forests. The coffee bush is a shade-loving understory plant, sometimes growing as tall as 30 feet. The plant's propensity for blurred forest-floor light sets coffee apart from other tropical monocultures, like sugar, bananas, or cattle, which replace forest ecosystems with fields. On the other hand, shade coffee areas provide a habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.

Who grows Organic coffee? 

http://www.tesdelsol.com/

http://www.cafemilagro.com/?gclid=CJubxKP68ZMCFReenAod7n5KWQ

http://www.cafebritt.com/costa-rica-shade-grown-organic/