I've seen references to organic coffee as well as non-organic coffee and it's piqued my curiosity on more than one occasion. I finally broke down and did some research on the matter.

Organic Coffee

Organic coffee is coffee that has been grown according to organic farming techniques or on farms which incorporate recycling, composting, soil health and environmental protections.

Most organic coffee is grown in the shade, requiring less land to be cleared and thus protecting forestry. Soil erosion is prevented and the natural habitats for wildlife are preserved when the forests are left intact. Nature takes care of the pest problems that damage the coffee plants.

Most organic coffee is grown in the countries of Ethiopia, Mexico and Peru. It shouldn't make you wonder since the start up costs for organic coffee plantations are much lower than non-organic coffee plantations, although the yield is generally much lower.

Regular coffee, the non-organic kind, is grown with the aid of artificial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. In general, it isn't grown 100 percent naturally. You think that Colombian coffee you're so fond of is organic? Guess again.

The Economics of Organic Coffee

The economy of organic coffee deals with the entire process of coffee production from start to finish — from the initial plantings to be served at the table. The benefits, on the human scale, far outweigh the costs.

Concentrating on organic coffee reduces water usage, water contamination, soil erosion, carbon emissions and more. While organic farming is more labor-intensive, conventional farming is more capital-intensive. Organic coffee growers complain that marketing is their greatest obstacle since they don't product the kind of capital that conventional coffee growers do.

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