Coffee Confusion
Nichole Besyk – Feb 21, 2011
A college student’s favorite part of a grocery store has to be the coffee isle. Come ‘round the corner to isle 6 and that rich, earthy aroma envelops you like a dream. But while searching for the bag you’ll take home, you are assaulted by a slew of different labels: “Organic”, “Fair-Trade”, “Shade-Grown”. What are these strange stamps on your sacks of grounds and beans? What could they possibly mean that makes these bags more expensive than the brands without the fancy labels?
Every purchase of your morning coffee is a moral statement, believe it or not. It turns out all coffee is not created equal.
Historically, all coffee was shade grown in the understory of rainforests as part of a complex functional community. Coffee comes from an evergreen shrub that is naturally intolerant of direct sunlight. This explains why it grows under a multi-layered forest canopy in nature. With the power of modern science, however, hybrid strains have been developed that grow in full sun and thus produce faster and higher yields. The use of these genetically altered plants in monoculture has caused millions of acres of land to suffer deforestation leading to soil erosion, depletion, and runoff. Since 1972, 60% of land used for coffee production has been stripped of its forest trees.
“Shade-grown” operations, however, make use of the natural ecosystem processes within which coffee originally grew. Multiple layers of tree canopy provide habitat for native bird and wildlife populations. In the meantime, the trees also fix nitrogen, participate in nutrient cycling, and mulch the forest floor with leaf litter to help retain soil moisture. In short, they actually help improve the soil instead of depleting it, as intensive monoculture operations do. Coffee may be grown among other cultivated trees and plants including fruits, vegetables, fuel wood, and medicinal plants. The biodiversity and overall health of the ecosystem is of a much higher quality than that of a “conventional” coffee plantation.
Many “shade-grown” plantations are also “organic”, meaning that plants are grown without the use of harmful pesticides and fertilizers. Chemicals may leach into local water sources, accumulate in the soil, or be released into the air causing a multitude of health and pollution problems.
The “Fair-Trade” system has to do with the social issues of coffee production and consumption. A coffee labeled with a fair trade stamp promotes fair prices and healthier working conditions for farmers. Fair trade coffee is purchased directly from a co-op of growers for a higher price than standard coffee; they are guaranteed a certain price and may be paid a higher “per-pound premium” if the market is good.
There are plenty of reasons to buy environmentally friendly organic, shade grown, or fair trade coffee. The reason that so many people don’t is due to the higher cost of these products. Quality-grown coffees may be up to three times more expensive than “conventionally” grown coffee. But if you extend your considerations while making that choice in the grocery isle, you’ll find that extra bit of money is buying you the best ingredients. You’ll be getting a higher quality, healthier product that doesn’t degrade the environment and that ensures fair treatment of its growers.
2 comments:
Clarification of these terms is helpful, especially in advertising, when no one knows what they actually mean. I recently read a book by M. Pollan called "Omnivore's Dilemma", and he had addressed the word "organic." I am pretty skeptical, especially when it come to spending money. The term organic bring many stereotypes and thought that may not be organic at all. In his book he discusses an industry that is organic (its hard to even use those two words in a sentence!). I personally dont drink coffee, but this is very interesting to know.
The producers of this coffee need to sell the importance of the precautions they take to produce it and why it is worth the extra price. Most people dont know what most of these things mean, or have weakly held attitudes about it. It is the advertisers job to convince consumers that their "environmentally safe" product is worth the extra money. It's not an easy task to make people resent their wallet or purse! The only way is to change values.
From one coffee lover to the next I thank you. I never knew exactly what the meaning behind all the different sayings that described my coffee and I feel the terms are growing daily. I had a basic idea due to the titles put on the bag but I didn’t know the intricacies of each individual one. Getting a coffee of the best quality without harming the environment is a goal that most natural resource enthusiasts strive for. Today the organic varieties are being sold rapidly without much research done by the consumer. Many companies are calling themselves organic, although to be certified organic the company or farm has to meet certain standards outlined by the government. I am not a huge supporter of monoculture from previous experiences and my education. The idea of agro-forestry and integrating different plants, trees and shrubs into a production to increase yield is an environmentally stable and friendly idea. However, keep in mind that the use of pesticides and herbicides is not always a detriment to the environment. It depends on the chemicals found in the product as well as the plants ability to absorb and utilize it. Some applications boost yields and are almost completely utilized before it has a chance to reach groundwater or contaminate another resource.
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