To know everything about organic coffee, it is necessary to know what characterizes it, in order to understand what this product is and therefore what it can bring as advantages. It is therefore important, first of all, to define what is organic coffee. Then, we will be able to deduce the qualities of this coffee andthus what it brings as added value, as much for the consumers as for the producers or the environment.
It is also appropriate to clarify the points of vigilance related to the "organic" designation. What is a label? How is it defined in order to be better informed and therefore better identified on "organic coffee" type products? We take stock.
Since its appearance in prehistoric times in the regions of Ethiopia, the coffee tree has enjoyed worldwide success throughout history. Consuming these beans was first a local custom, which then spread to neighboring territories and then to the whole world (it is estimated that coffee arrived in Europe through Italy in the 17th century). The coffee seed (called "coffee bean") was cultivated for its taste and energy-giving benefits.
It is important to know that it is the quality of the bean that makes the excellence of the coffee directly produced. For this reason, organic coffee restores the original qualities of this plant. Organic farming is a production that respects the coffee beans. Thus, it ensures the consumer the good transmission of the intrinsic advantages of an organic coffee:
Obviously, the consumer residing in a Western European country, for example, cannot go and check by himself that the coffee he consumes is correctly grown, harvested, packed, shipped, handled, etc.
To this end, there are certifying bodies that offer the labeling of products from farms that want it. Without going into all the details, this consists, for the producers who wish it, to answer a demanding schedule of conditions, which constrains them to a high level of quality on the production of the coffee beans. The rules are numerous and may concern, in a non-exhaustive way
The organic label of a coffee corresponds to a commitment of the producer, but also to that of all the related service providers (transport, packaging, reseller, etc.), which ensures that the customer consumes coffees that meet the restrictive specifications established by a certifying body (the label). Organic coffee is therefore a "high-end" product.
Like many things, it is often the excess and the poor quality of the products that cause health problems. In fact, coffee has often suffered from a bad reputation, which has caused it to bear many ills wrongly. It was thus the case :
Beware of shortcuts, because organic coffee can be a health ally. As we have seen before, it respects the original product (coffee bean), which allows it to produce its natural benefits to the best of its abilities. Beyond the authentic taste, it is therefore a food (ground or not) that can have many virtues for health, such as :
It is important to remember that moderation and quality of the product allow us to benefit from the substances (caffeine in particular) present in coffee beans. While moderation and common sense are a matter of individual choice, quality is intrinsically linked to the product. Therefore, an organic coffee can only meet the quality requirements of a selective market.
Indeed, like any craftsman or professional, an organic coffee producer is committed to the quality of his products. Without enumerating all the advantages that are linked to it (most of which depend more on fair trade than on organic), it is necessary to understand what this represents for producers who respect the label.
Organic farming is therefore a production method that is not meaningless and that also allows producers to take advantage of consumer demands. Knowing how to respond to the qualitative and evolving needs of its clientele means knowing how to integrate constraints while ensuring the financial sustainability of the economic model, through selling prices that are often higher for products labeled "organic".
For a long time, "classical" coffee farming was based on a rather empirical economic model, such as "increasing the number of kilos of coffee beans produced per hectare is necessarily more profitable". However, this model quickly came up against consumer expectations (willing to pay more for a higher quality product), as well as real economic limits (chemical fertilizers are increasingly expensive and need to be applied more and more as coffee trees get used to them).
Thus, the list of devastating effects in terms of ecology can only grow longer when this type of logic prevails. Soils, water, crops, ecosystems, etc., everything that constitutes the environment of this type of agriculture is degraded by such practices.
Organic is therefore an ecological and economic alternative, which allows to impose standards of production and agriculture of coffee, all to reduce and annihilate the vicious effects mentioned above. Thanks to the qualitative wishes of a part of the consumers, a virtuous production model has been set up to allow the consideration and the respect of the environment.
Unfortunately, some frauds have been uncovered in the organic sector, and this should encourage the greatest vigilance. The consumer who wants a coffee bean labeled "organic" is, by definition, a demanding consumer. But this requirement must also be carried out at the level of the label, in order to make sure to make the right choice. Some simple advice should be followed.
First of all, it is better to place your trust in an official and registered label. Every label must communicate its expectations, its requirements, etc. In general, a little research on the internet allows you to identify a label and its values. In general, products with an organic label, whose price is lower than or equal to that of non-labelled products, should be avoided. Finally, the retailer is in the best position to inform consumers about the labels he distributes.
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