[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re curious about certifications, this series is for you: Over the course of several blog posts, we\u2019ll explore some of the existing certifications that are available for specialty green coffee, including taking a look at their mission, standards, and whatever auditing or other requirements are important for you to know.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For the first post in this series about certifications, we thought we may as well start with\u00a0<\/span>one you\u2019ll see quite often in our offerings list<\/span>: \u201corganic.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Here, we\u2019ll explore\u00a0<\/span>what the term means, what the certification entails, and examine some of the commonly held beliefs about organics.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Certification-1-2.jpg” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”At a Glance” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n Certified Organic*<\/span><\/b>\u00a0at a Glance<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Briefly, to set the stage for the rest of this journey, here is a simplified list of\u00a0<\/span>the major standards and tenets of organic certification for agricultural crops.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n *\u00a0<\/span>As per the USDA<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Defining Organic” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n Defining \u201cOrganic\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Technically, the word\u00a0<\/span>organic<\/span><\/i>\u00a0simply refers to anything that is, was, comprises, or is related to living matter containing carbon compounds. You are an organic being, for instance, and so is your dog<\/span>\u2014as are the<\/span>\u00a0flowers and vegetables in your garden, and the compost you use to fertilize them<\/span>, which is\u00a0<\/span>made from a combination of food scraps, paper, and yard waste, all of which were once living and contain carbon.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Defining Organic” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n When we talk about \u201corganic agriculture,\u201d we are getting into slightly different territory. While the term was coined in the early 20<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0century to refer to\u00a0<\/span>a method<\/span>\u00a0of farming that utilizes more traditional and naturally occurring techniques and inputs\u00a0<\/span>for cultivation, the style of farming that inspired \u201corganic\u201d agriculture had\u00a0<\/span>already\u00a0<\/span>existed for centuries. In fact, the term was\u00a0<\/span>coined in response to the development of what we now call \u201cconventional,\u201d or more industrial farming\u2014which, until the mid-1800s, was not the general convention at all.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Conventional farming was born from a desire to produce mass amounts of food (specifically, but also other\u00a0<\/span>crops such as cotton<\/span>) in a shorter time and at a cheaper cost. It was made exponentially more accessible and profitable to farmers by the development of synthetic<\/span>–<\/span>nitrogen fertilizer as well as the development of modern farm machinery such as tractors. This completely changed the face of farming: In 1800, an individual farm might feed a family of five people, and roughly 90 percent of the population lived<\/span>\u00a0and\/or work<\/span>e<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0on a farm; by 1995, nearly 130 people could be fed from a single farm<\/span>, and only 1.3 percent of the population works in farming of any kind<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This is all to say that the words \u201corganic farming\u201d or \u201corganic agriculture\u201d are\u00a0<\/span>not a new concept, though the certification itself is only about 30 years old.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Certification-1.jpg” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Certified Organic” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n \u201cCertified Organic\u201d<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Starting as early as the 1940s<\/span>\u00a0in the United States<\/span>, pushback against industrial, chemical- and synthetics-heavy farming created a grassroots as environmental and personal-health concerns inspired farmers to turn to traditional methods to grow commercial agricultural products. Consumer demand for organic increased in kind, and by the 1970s and \u201880s, \u201corganic\u201d was both becoming wildly more popular\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>was wildly un<\/span>regulated.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I<\/span>n the United States, i<\/span>t wasn\u2019t until 1990, when Congress passed the\u00a0<\/span>Organic Foods Production Act, that standards started to be written defining \u201corganic\u201d in a certified sense<\/span>: This standard is\u00a0<\/span>set by a federal regulatory program called the<\/span>\u00a0National Organic Program, or NOP<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>The original standards were finally and formally enacted in 2002, though they have evolved over time.\u00a0<\/span>(Historically there are older certifications, but the 1990s\u20132000s saw the adoption of formal standards internationally for the first time.)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The NOP is responsible for accrediting<\/span>\u00a0third-party auditors and certifying bodies<\/span>\u00a0who are able to grant USDA certification status to producers and operators. These thir<\/span>d-party agencies are private companies that are hired to perform the evaluation toward achieving certification;\u00a0<\/span>certifiers will often have the accreditation to certify for most of the organic standards around the world.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There are several primary tenets to organic certification, and they focus almost exclusively on the land, crops, and livestock: There is a list of prohibited chemical and synthetic substances that are not to be found on organic-certified farms, certain practices that are necessary (such as the use of crop cover), and considerations for the ethical treatment of livestock. Organic certification has no social component, however, and does not touch on areas of farm management such as worker\u2019s rights. In future posts in this series, we\u2019ll explore certifications that do have a social component built-in as well.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Today, several countries<\/span>\u00a0(e.g. Canada, Japan)<\/span>\u00a0or groups of countries (<\/span>e.g.<\/span>\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0European\u00a0<\/span>Union<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0have their own organic certification standards, which are slightly different from one another.\u00a0<\/span>Some of these certifications are internationally accepted, while others require additional certification from separate auditors in order to qualify as certified organic in the country of import.\u00a0<\/span>These standards apply both to crops and livestock raised domestically as well as those that are imported into the certifying country.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Becoming an Organic Certified Producer” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n Becoming\u00a0<\/span><\/b>an Organic-<\/span><\/b>Certified<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Producer<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In order to become certified, a producer (or association) must\u00a0<\/span>use<\/span>\u00a0organic methods and materials for\u00a0<\/span>at least\u00a0<\/span>three years before they are eligible to receive the certification. Once they have begun farming organically, they can select a certifying agency in their area, and submit\u00a0<\/span>an<\/span>\u00a0application for auditing. An inspector will be sent to the farm to create a report, and the certifying agency reviews the application alongside the inspector\u2019s findings. If everything checks out, an organic certification is awarded, and the farm will be subject to annual inspection to enforce compliance.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The cost of certification varies depending on several factors, including the size of the farm or business, the complexity of the analysis and products being sold, and the auditing agency itself. Broadly speaking, organic certification may cost several hundred to several thousands of dollars in fees alone, not accounting for any of the operating costs associated with transitioning to organic methods (if necessary).\u00a0<\/span>This cost, as well as the higher relative cost of production to grow certified-organic coffee, is partially why organic offerings are typically priced at a premium.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When a smallholder is a member of a grower\u2019s association or cooperative, the cooperative itself may hold the organic certification, rather than the individual members. The auditing process is still rigorous, and the requirements are the same, but this allows the farmers to defray the cost of certification by sharing it among the group. At the same time, the certification for the entire group is at risk if any of its members refuses or fails to comply with the organic standards.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/CR53130.jpg” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Is Organic Better?” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n Is Organic Better?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This is one of the most commonly asked questions about organics, and there are several ways to answer.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Is organic\u00a0<\/i>coffee\u00a0<\/i>better for you?<\/i><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>There are countless reports showing coffee\u2019s medical benefits<\/span>, including its high antioxidant content, its reported ability to lower the risk of diabetes and liver disease, and apparently its Alzheimer\u2019s-blocking powers\u2014all of which are great<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Whether or not organic coffee is any better for you overall, however, is still up for debate.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One area where there is some question is whether organic coffee contains more or fewer mycotoxins than non-organic coffee, but\u00a0<\/span>studies have shown that\u00a0<\/span>the presence of mycotoxins is most affected by the drying and handling of the coffee during and after processing, not during its growth.\u00a0<\/span>Furthermore, our findings have been that most of the hubbub around mycotoxins in\u00a0<\/span>coffee has been misplaced and misleading: The vast majority of specialty coffee will have very little mycotoxin presence to begin with, and even less after the roasting process, on average.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Is organic better for the environment?<\/i><\/span>\u00a0The short answer is: Yes. Coffee production uses a lot of resources to begin with, from being nutrient-needy in the soil to\u00a0<\/span>needing constant attention to prevent weeds and pathogens, all the way down to the water used in many processing methods and the land it requires to grow, mill, and store it. Adding synthetic chemicals and harsh pesticides to that mix only makes coffee production more taxing on the environment<\/span>, especially the local flora and fauna<\/span>\u2014while using organic inputs along with traditional techniques (like growing under shade, using crop cover to prevent weeds, utilizing biological controls for pests) can actually support the ecosystem around the farm.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That being said, there are many places where organic farming is difficult if not impossible<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>and other circumstances where logistics or finances stand in the way of the official certification.<\/span><\/p>\n Is organic better quality?<\/i><\/span>\u00a0Another one that\u2019s up for debate! It\u2019s difficult to compare apples to apples because producer<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>aren\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0able to raise organic and conventional coffee side-by-side<\/span>\u00a0on the same farm in order<\/span>\u00a0to follow through with scientific method<\/span>. I<\/span>n fact, producers who grow organic coffee alongside other crops\u00a0<\/span>(such as intercropped bananas or vegetables for personal use)\u00a0<\/span>need to use organic methodology and inputs on the entire farm, not just the coffee.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Without the ability to do objective comparison of like coffees, the \u201cproof\u201d\u00a0<\/span>of quality\u00a0<\/span>one way or the other is purely anecdotal. We can say that we\u2019ve seen fewer organic-certified coffees scoring in the high 80s,\u00a0<\/span>but\u00a0<\/span>our partners at Las Lajas in Costa Rica routinely<\/span>\u00a0turn out coffees that do, so we know it\u2019s possible<\/span>. (They\u00a0<\/span>are<\/span><\/i>\u00a0able to produce both conventional and organic coffees because they own different farms and use different processing equipment for each\u2014a rare and wonderful exception to that rule as well.)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While your mileage may vary regarding the perception of \u201cis organic coffee better than non-organic,\u201d we do happen to think that environmentally sound practices tend to feel and taste great in general, so why not just cup some certified-organic coffees and see if you find one you love?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Certification-1-3.jpg” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Can I sell Organic-Certified Coffee?” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n Can I Sell Organic-Certified Coffee?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The rules say that\u00a0<\/span>value-added\u00a0<\/span>processors (called \u201chandlers\u201d in NOP-speak) of organic-certified coffees also need to have organic certification in order to accurately and legally use the official organic seal<\/span>\u00a0on packaging and marketing<\/span>. If you\u2019re cooking, baking, fermenting, preserving, slaughtering, or, yes, roasting a certified-organic product but aren\u2019t yourself certified-organic, you\u2019re not eligible to use the\u00a0<\/span>seal and could come under some governmental fury for mislabeling your packaging.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n