Thursday, October 29, 2009

Will I Taste The Difference With Organic Coffee?

More and more consumers are realizing the need to evolve with the times to get green smart. Growing organic produce is the ultimate starting point for such environmentally friendly projects, thus the increase in the popularity of organic beverages.

The largest producers of organic coffee beans are located at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro on the African continent. Coffee trees grow abundantly under a tent formed by tall growing banana trees. This method of mixed planting is used to shield the coffee trees from harsh weather conditions while allowing the necessary amount of sunlight and rain to penetrate. The coffee trees are mulched and composted by mother nature via falling leaves from the coffee tree itself as well as that of the banana trees. Natural mulching and compost means natural moisture retention and high soil quality. For the organically certified farmers to comply with prescribed standards only natural, organic-based pesticides may be used.



The popularity of the coffee bean is astonishing as it is ranked second in terms of world trade with oil at the number one spot. These small green seeds have a retail market of an estimated Seventy Billion US Dollars. In the past, pricing of beans where haunted by significant drops and rises caused by super sensitivity to volatile conditions in the market. The impact of world recessions on bean prices have been eliminated by the fixing of minimum prices.

The ripe berries are plucked from the trees and soaked in water. Left over pulp is stripped off so that only the bean is visible. The beans are then left to try in the sun. The whole process of picking, soaking and drying is undertaken with great care as one coffee tree produces only an estimated 2.20 lbs beans per year. Once the drying cycle is complete the beans are sacked and weighed. Special areas are allocated where organic products are kept in prescribed conditions ensuring that after auctioning and shipping that the end user will get the best the farmer has to offer in accordance with the high standards enforced.

A downside to organic produce is the scarcity of the products. Organic foods have a tendency to be associated with higher prices to consumers due to the products’ steeper pricing in relation to conventional products. Prices are higher due to various direct and indirect influences such as low yields, higher labor requirements, business start-up financing and additional land needs.

Farmers of organic coffee beans have strict guidelines to following. The guidelines are prescribed by relevant Independent organic certifying organizations, Fair Trade and KNCU. These rules and regulations are drafted according to international supply standards. Compliance with these organizational requirements is a feather in the hat of the farmer as he or she knows the organic produce planted and cared for on his farm meets high international standard.

Farmers of organic coffee beans and their nations make a commitment to changing their lives for the better by taking positive actions in countries often labeled as third world. By participating in farming of organic coffee beans, these farmers are helping to build up their communities, establish better health care and education opportunities as well as creating brighter economic futures.

0 comments:

Post a Comment