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What is Organic Coffee?
When it comes to brewing up an excellent cup of coffee, organic is best. The farmers grow organic coffee without pesticides or other chemicals.
It’s a natural way of producing coffee that results in better taste, fewer health issues, and a more eco-friendly product.
Why Choose Organic?
Although you might think it’s counter-intuitive to buy something labeled “organic,” there are several good reasons to do so. First, coffee is the second most-traded food product in the world, meaning it’s big business.
Coffee production produces more than $70 billion a year worldwide. Unfortunately, due to low prices, small farmers often resort to using chemicals like pesticides and herbicides (the latter of which can contribute to runoff that degrades water quality and contributes to erosion).
Organic production takes a more sustainable approach: it uses natural fertilizers, like compost and manure. It also prohibits the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides.
The goal is to enhance soil health while preventing long-term damage to the environment (although some critics argue that organic farming actually hurts the environment).
Organic farms tend to be smaller and more diverse. In many cases, food crops are interspersed among coffee trees, making them a perfect example of integrated pest management.
Aside from that, you’ll find that organic coffee beverages (hot, cold brew) taste better than non-organic varieties.
When it comes to coffee, flavor depends on the soil in which the beans are grown. Organic varieties typically have richer, smoother flavors than non-organic coffees.
Top Coffee Brands with Organic Products
The following list highlights some top coffee brands that offer organically grown coffee.
1. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
This is the top-selling organic coffee brand in the world. They offer full-bodied, bold, and smooth-tasting coffee products that are certified by QAI (Quality Assurance International).
Their varieties of drip coffee include Rainforest Alliance Certified, which is acquired from local farmers in Costa Rica, Colombia, Kenya, Guatemala, and Indonesia.
The Rainforest Alliance Certified promotes the welfare of farmworkers while ensuring that rain forests are protected and wildlife thrives in these regions.
2. Starbucks
Though not organic certified by QAI, Starbucks says they do use 100% recycled paper for packaging their coffee products in the USA and 100% recyclable aluminum cans for their single-serve coffee products.
3. Folgers
Folgers produces organic and non-organic varieties, including Original Roast, Classic Decaf, French Roast, Colombian Supreme, and Mountain Grown. They also offer flavored coffees such as Mocha Java and Hazelnut Creme.
4. Illycaffè
This Italian coffee roaster offers a full line of organic, fair trade, and shade-grown coffees. They offer some of the most exotic flavors, including Ginger Root Extract, Orange Peel Extract, Raisin Extract, and more.
Their single-origin varieties come from Brazil (which is popular for its high-quality beans), Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala (which is often considered the “Garden of Coffee”), Hawaii (which grows coffee in volcanic soil that imparts unique flavors to the beans) and Sumatra.
5. The Republic of Tea
This company offers a large variety of organic teas. Their Breakfast Blend and Earl Grey are two of their most popular blends.
6. Peet’s Coffee & Tea
Not only does Peet’s offer a variety of organic coffees, but they also have a selection of organic herbal teas.
7. Newman’s Own Organics
This coffee company offers both whole bean and ground coffee to please any palate or size preference.
8. Coffee Bean Direct
This is the best organic coffee brand. This company offers an assortment of organic and fair trade beans as well as flavored coffees, including French Vanilla, Hazelnut, Cinnamon Swirl, Toffee Nut, and others.
They offer some of the lowest prices for organic coffee products on the market today.
9. Caribou Coffee Company
This company offers organic coffee varieties certified by QAI. Some of their best roasts include Rainforest Alliance Certified, which they acquire from local farmers in Costa Rica, Colombia, Kenya, Guatemala, and Indonesia. And Bird Friendly (which adds to farmers’ quality of life who grow coffee in tropical regions by ensuring that these farmers are paid fairly), which they acquire from local farmers in Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Tanzania, and Uganda.
10. 365 Organic Coffee
This company offers a full line of organic brewed coffees as well as various sampler packs. Some of their most popular products include Red Eye Coffee, Decaf French Roast, and Colombian Organic Fair Trade.
Interesting Facts About Organic Coffees:
Farmers grow organic coffee without the use of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, or other chemicals. This type of farming also helps keep the environment clean by recycling water used to rinse coffee beans after processing instead of pouring them down drains.
Organic coffees are healthier for you because they’re free of the chemicals used in regular coffee beans. These chemicals cause negative health effects, including nausea, dizziness, irritability, and irregular heartbeats.
Many organic coffee brands are fair trade certified. This means that their farmers earn a living wage while caring for the environment with sustainable farming techniques.
Organic coffee is more expensive than regular coffee beans, but it is usually worth the extra cost. The price is due to the higher quality of beans. Plus, organic coffees taste better too!
Certified organic coffee products are available in most grocery stores around the world. In addition, many coffee shops also carry organic beans and offer organic coffee varieties.
Conclusion
Organic coffee has become a popular beverage choice in recent years because there are so many benefits to drinking it. Not only is it healthier for you, but organic coffee offers a great taste and an assortment of flavors that you won’t find with regular coffee beans.
By choosing organic coffee brands from this list, you’ll be getting some of the best organic coffee products on the market.
These companies work to ensure that you get a high-quality product that is healthier for your body and tastes good too!
If you enjoy the taste of organic coffee, make sure to buy whole beans instead of pre-ground coffee, which can contain chemicals used to preserve freshness. Also, pick out a resealable bag so your coffee stays fresh longer.