I will give you a quick rundown of what organic is, and why I feel people should exclusively drink organic coffee.

1) Organic products may not contain any synthetic chemicals.

2) Organic certified products can’t use Frankenstein, genetically manipulated crops or animals.

3) To be labeled 100% organic items may only contain organic ingredients (excluding water and salt).

4) The term “certified organic” can be a little tricky. In this case only 95% of the components need to be certified organic, the remaining 5% must be on the USDA approved list and not be available in a non-organic form.

5) The USDA organic logo can be printed on any 100% organic or “Organic” item.

6) Agricultural items labeled organic, such as organic coffee, can’t be treated with sewage sludge (yes modern crops are), or ionizing radiation.

I’m not trying to belabor this issue with boring organic labeling information, but you should know what you’re dealing with “organic” products. Now that we have gone through the meaning of certified organic we can move onto the topic at hand. Seeing as how coffee necessarily only contains “coffee”, organic coffee blends are probably 100% organic, if they are only 95% the other 5% of ingredients must be printed on the product information panel.

Why should you care if your coffee is organic coffee?

1) I probably wouldn’t want to imbibe coffee that was fertilized with sewage sludge, do you?

2) One of my most endearing comforts with the USDA organic certification is no genetically modified plants.

3) For you unleaded coffee drinkers, organic coffee is your safest option. Hazardous chemicals such as ethyl acetate and methylene chloride are used in making standard decaffeinated coffees. Organic decaffeinated coffee is processed using hot water, and NO chemicals. Recent studies show that drinking decaf. leads to rheumatoid arthritis. More studies need to be conducted to compare current (chemical decaf.) and water processed decaf.

4) Herbicides are not good for the farmers. Most coffee is grown in many poor countries, and a lot of these farmers are not able to understand herbicide and pesticide warning labels, resulting in erroneous preparation of chemicals, and therefore, toxic exposure for them and the environment.

I could ramble on about why you should only buy organic coffee. It goes much deeper than the coffee itself. A lot of toxins are released in the manufacturing of non-organic chemicals.

In conclusion, there is the naturalness factor. Farmers cultivating their coffee organically must pay extra special attention to their crops to ensure they are not destroyed by critters. Whether you think I’m just trying to promote my agenda, or promote your good health, please give organic coffee a try and pass the word.

By now you’re definitely wondering “where can I get Organic Coffee on a regular basis?” We’ll, head on over to Nectar of Life’s Coffee of the Month Club!

Coffee Lovers Rejoice

Do you know what the #1 beverage is in the world?  Coffee!! It is so popular, that it is the 2nd most traded physical product in the world after petroleum. You wonder why it is popular? The caffeine and stimulant properties of coffee help countless people start their morning by helping them wake up and tackle their day. It helps give people an energy boost to manage all that work they have to get done, it’s also known to refresh the body after eating those large restaurant or holiday meals.

Where Does It Comes From, How is it Made?

The process of making coffee is by roasting the beans, beans which are picked from the berries of the genus coffea a small evergreen bush. In Asia, South America and Africa these bushes are most noticeable. After picked, the next step is to process and dry the beans, once complete they are now ready to be roasted. Now to get different types of flavors from our coffee, the beans are processed and roasted in number of ways.

Brewing coffee is also an art, there are multiple alternatives to brewing coffee to match ones taste. For ex) espresso coffee is made by pressure brewing the ground beans. During the early twentieth century espresso was invented in Milan. Having a thick and strong consistency, is the main brewing attribute for an espresso. Depending on your taste preference espresso can either be an extra boost for some people or too strong of a flavor for others.

Looking for some History?

History states the first cup of coffee was prepared in the mountains of Ethiopia during the 9th century when the goat herders realized their goats seemed to be more energetic after chewing on the bush. This then spread the coffee drinking trend throughout Egypt and Yemen. The 15th century saw Muslims drinking coffee amongst the world. It then began to migrate into Italy through Venice, but was first regarded and dismissed as the ‘drink of Muslims’.

After the Italian adopted it, coffee started to become a regular drink, this soon then spread amongst first in Europe, then America and Indonesia. Now a days you see almost everyone in the world drinking their daily cup of coffee and not just regular coffee there are different flavors and methods to brewing it. Some of us drink Instant coffee while others prefer something that is more American style or even say a cup of espresso. Cultures in the Middle East and Eastern Europe use the sediment in the bottom of the pan to brew their coffee. Drinking coffee straight isn’t the only option, it can be served with milk, cream, and sugar. Taste is a large factor for people when they brew their coffee.

Food and drink all over the world is going green, and organic espresso coffee is no exception.  More and more companies are providing organic alternatives in their favorite blends, making it easier for people to add this healthy drink to their kitchens.

Organic certification for coffee beans, as well as other food products, is based on how the crop is grown.  There are strict standards for organic products that begin even before the crop is planted. 

Fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, and other chemicals can’t be used to protect the crops from damage, or to promote growth.  However, there are some organic products that can be used instead, as long as they’re on the approved list provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The soil being used must also be free from chemicals for three or more years.  This keeps the crop free from the chemicals and additives that may have been used in previous crops.

There must also be a buffer between the organic crops and any non-organic crops, which prevents any chemicals from cross contaminating the organic crops.  The site is also subject to routine inspections to make sure the standards are being maintained.

These are the most common standards for organic products, and there are others that may vary depending on where the coffee is grown.  Organic coffee is also often grown in the shade.  This prevents the sun from bleaching out the nutrients in the coffee, and a cover of shade helps prevent the erosion of topsoil, which occurs in many traditional crops.  The trees also provide homes to birds that can control the insect population without the use of pesticides.

Most people know organic coffee is better for the environment because of how it’s grown, but it also has health benefits that not everyone knows about.  Since coffee grown organically is free from chemicals and additives, the pure antioxidants and nutrients in the coffee are preserved, and then passed to you when you drink it.

Some people don’t buy organic espresso because of the cost difference, but since more and more companies are providing organic alternatives for their coffee, the cost difference is minimal.  The popularity has also provided a variety of coffee blends and flavors in organic, even decaffeinated blends.  Fortunately, most coffee companies now offer organic alternatives for popular blends, so it isn’t as difficult to drink green coffee as it once was.

For those who seek to live a greener lifestyle, coffee fits in nicely.  More and more coffee companies are growing organic beans to roast into different blends, and working to grow crops that are better for the environment, provide better coffee for their customers, and follow the evolving tradition of organic coffee.