Finding organic coffee may not be as easy going to your local organic grocery store or shopping in the organic aisle. Unfortunately, “natural” does not necessarily mean “organic”, and wording on product packaging comes with no guarantees. So, it may take a little extra research and vigilance to ensure that you are buying quality organic coffee.
For example, did you know that there are organic coffees out there that do not have the certified organic label? To have this certification, the USDA requires farmers to follow very rigorous guidelines that some are not able to meet. Additionally, fertilizers and pesticides may cost too much for some farmers, resulting in them growing their crops organically by necessity.
With that being said, the certified organic label is one way to ensure that you are buying organic coffee. However, there are other ways to determine if a coffee is sustainable or ethically grown even if it does not have the certified organic label. In addition, looking for coffee with the other certifications listed below can be a way to hold your coffee to even higher standards than just being certified organic.
Here is a checklist we compiled that provides you with information on what to look for:
The benefits of purchasing organic coffee go beyond personal health. Not only does organic coffee help push the market towards a positive change that helps sustain ecosystem health, it benefits the hard-working farmers by limiting their exposure to unnatural chemicals.