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Types of Coffee
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Organic Coffee
Organic Coffee is coffee grown without the use of man-made fertilizers,
pesticides, or herbicides of any kind. Organic Coffee is better for you,
better for the environment, and better for the workers who pick the beans.
Only coffee that has been certified organic by an independent organization
may be labeled as such.
Such organic certification requires that growers have their soil tested for
a period of three years, as well as continued testing every year after that
period. This coffee must then also be processed and roasted in certified
organic facilities to maintain the organic certification.
Fair Trade Coffee
Fair Trade certification aims to create an equitable and fair partnership
between producers and consumers of coffee. This means making sure that
coffee farmers (the majority of which are small holders) get a fair price
for their crop, in order to achieve a decent living wage. Fair Trade also
helps these farmers establish credit at fair prices, long term relationships
with buyers, and payments invested in education, health care, and economic
independence.
Shade Grown Coffee
In mid-elevations of Mexico, Colombia, Central America, and the Carribean,
most of the forests still standing are in traditional coffee plantations.
Coffee grows best in the shade of diverse tree species, which provides a
home to many native and migratory birds. Over the past several decades, many
coffee farmers have begun planting species of coffee which grows best in
full sun, which may have better yields than traitional shade-grown coffee,
but requires larger amounts of fertilizers and often hurts sensitive
ecosystems.
Though there are many coffee growing regions around the world, and many
different ways to grow coffee, using the shade of trees to grow coffee is an
excellent way to promote biodiversity and help to support a stronger
ecosystem.
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