What is organic fair trade coffee?
Organic fair-trade coffee is a combination of two important certifications: organic certification and fair trade certification. With organic certification, this coffee is cultivated without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers, which encourages soil health, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability.
The main goal of fair trade certification is to encourage fair and equitable trading practices. This certification guarantees that coffee farmers are paid fair prices for their products, which enables them to have a reliable income to support their families and contribute to their communities. Throughout the entire process, transparency, accountability, and the recognition of workers’ rights, such as ensuring safe working conditions and fair labor practices, are actively promoted.
The combination of organic and fair trade certifications results in a powerful combination that brings benefits to both farmers and consumers. Organic farming practices are helpful in safeguarding the environment, maintaining the health of farmers and consumers, and supporting sustainable agriculture. Fair trade practices, on the other hand, assist coffee farmers by ensuring fair wages and enhancing their access to resources and education.
Is organic coffee healthier?
Definitely! Organic coffee is better for your health compared to regular coffee! When coffee is referred to as “organic,” it signifies that it has been cultivated without the utilization of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. Consequently, no artificial substances interfere with the energizing effect of your morning beverage.
In addition, organic coffee offers a cleaner and livelier taste experience due to the absence of pesticides. By avoiding the influence of these unwanted chemicals, you are able to fully appreciate the authentic essence of organic coffee beans. It is akin to discovering a hidden taste component that intensifies each sip, providing an enhanced sense of delight and contentment.
How is organic coffee grown?
To begin with, organic coffee farms adopt a more comprehensive farming method. Instead of depending on artificial pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, organic farmers follow nature’s strategies. They prioritize sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices that are in tune with the surrounding ecosystem.
The process starts with the soil. In organic coffee farms, soil health is given importance by employing natural methods such as composting, crop rotation, and cover cropping. By utilizing these techniques, the soil receives vital nutrients, creating a welcoming environment for coffee plants to flourish.
Farmers diligently choose superior coffee seeds that are certified organic when the time comes to plant them. These seeds are cultivated in nurseries until they transform into robust seedlings, fully prepared to commence their coffee-growing journey.
After reaching sufficient strength, the seedlings are relocated to the coffee farm where the shade-grown method is commonly practiced in organic coffee farms. This method entails cultivating coffee plants beneath a protective tree canopy, replicating a natural umbrella that filters sunlight for the coffee plants. By doing so, it ensures ideal growth conditions and promotes biodiversity by offering a habitat to birds and other wildlife.
The coffee cherries undergo a procedure known as “processing” after being harvested, which entails the removal of the outer layers of the cherries to expose the valuable organic coffee beans contained within. Organic coffee farms typically choose natural processing techniques, such as sun-drying the beans, rather than utilizing artificial machinery or chemicals.
Best Organic Fairtrade Coffee Brands That Give Back
1. Cooper´s Cask Coffee
Cooper’s Cask Coffee is a renowned roastery that specializes in producing small-batches of high-quality coffee. They offer a range of flavors, including delightful single-origin, cold-brew, decaf organic coffee, as well as bourbon barrel-aged coffee. All their products are freshly roasted in the United States.
Cooper’s Cask Coffee roasts their coffee beans only when an order is placed, instead of roasting in large quantities and storing them for extended periods in warehouses.
In addition, their entire production focuses on natural processes and ingredients as they are an FDA Registered, USDA Certified Organic roastery. What else could we ask for when they offer flavorsome, ethical, and healthy products?
2. Volcanica Coffee
Volcanica Coffee is definitely one of the best brands of 2023 with its wide selection of over 29 organic coffee flavors to suit various coffee moods.
To guarantee quality and an incredibly bold flavor, they exclusively obtain beans from farmers who cultivate them in mineral-rich soil. Additionally, these family-owned enterprises provide a wide range of options, including conventional coffee, French roast, whole beans, dark roast coffee, or light roast, all boasting rich flavors such as Bourbon Praline, Chocolate Creme Brulee, and Coconut Cream. The flavors are truly delicious!
Volcanica has something special for everyone, whether you prefer exotic coffee or desire to enjoy organic coffees from Central America, South America, and Puerto Rico.
3. Grounds & Hounds
With a love for coffee and a dedication to supporting animals, Grounds & Hounds is a distinctive coffee company on a mission.
They provide a selection of organic coffee beans, blends, and single-origin coffees to meet various taste preferences. Among them are Peace Trade coffees, which are sourced from Mighty Peace Coffee. This social impact coffee importer, owned by a woman and minority, has access to the highest quality green coffee cultivated in Congo.
Furthermore, they collaborate with multiple animal rescue organizations and contribute 20% of their earnings towards aiding in the provision of shelter, medical assistance, and, ultimately, finding permanent homes for dogs requiring assistance.
4. Kicking Horse Coffee
This Kicking Horse espresso is a medium roast blend of coffee, which sets it apart from other espresso options. It offers a variety of unique flavors that are specific to medium roast coffees. The beans used in this espresso blend are roasted specifically for espresso preparation. If you desire a coffee that possesses rich and captivating flavors similar to those typically associated with a French press, then this Kicking Horse espresso could be the one for you.
This cup originates from Africa, Indonesia, and Central and South America. Although some individuals may prefer a single origin, having a varied blend isn’t necessarily a negative aspect. In this cup, a smooth taste and notes of chocolate can be anticipated.
If the scenic view of the roasters is your main consideration in choosing which coffee to brew, then the Kicking Horse espresso might be the right choice for you. While the view that your coffee roasters enjoy may not directly impact the quality of a cup, it certainly doesn’t hurt either.
5. Allegro Coffee
The Allegro Organic Espresso Roast is similar to the Kicking Horse entry but closer to a traditional espresso, making it a fresh-tasting whole bean blend when it is time to grind.
This espresso is classified as a medium roast, although it falls on the darker side of the spectrum. It could also be described as a dark medium roast, which may seem like nitpicking, but it is quite precise. In terms of taste, you can expect a smooth experience with a richer blend. The characterizing flavor notes of this bean primarily originate from its medium roast aspect.
This particular one contains hints of chocolate and caramel combined together, resulting in a pleasant and unique flavor for your espresso. Additionally, it is obtained from farms that are both Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance certified, which is always advantageous.
6. Subtle Earth Organic Coffee
The Café Don Pablo espresso blend is a fascinating bag, as it focuses on presenting the raw product with a farm-themed packaging instead of the minimalist design commonly seen on espresso bags. However, it is worth noting that the appeal of this product lies in its quality and not its graphic design.
This coffee possesses a strong and unique flavor. Additionally, it possesses all the required certifications to ensure that you are acquiring excellent beans without compromising on ethical values. It is accredited by USDA as organic, and it is also free from GMOs. It is essentially the epitome of organic production.
The Café Don blend is a medium roast, resulting in a more flavorful espresso. It comes from Honduras, offering a single-origin coffee experience. The farms it originates from are all affiliated with the Sharing Certified Program, ensuring an organic and healthy coffee. Additionally, this coffee holds numerous moral certifications.
7. Groundwork Coffee
Another excellent option for organic beans is Groundwork Organic espresso. However, it differs from others in a few ways. Firstly, it is packaged in a can and comprises a diverse mixture of beans that are roasted together to achieve a harmonious combination of flavors. The coffee, which is a medium roast, delivers a delightful taste. Although it is not a single-origin blend, it still possesses a powerful and unique flavor profile, featuring hints of berries.
If you are interested in knowing about the organic credentials of Groundwork, you’re in luck because it is certified as kosher and non-GMO. Additionally, the growers are certified organic, ensuring that the beans are free from pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. In terms of organic standards, it would be difficult to find a more organic option than this.
8. Organic Coffee
The Organic Coffee company’s name suggests that it can be trusted for all organic produce.
This specific coffee is a typical dark roast for espresso, as dark roasts are the most suitable for espresso beans due to their roasting process that prevents overpowering flavor. Furthermore, this blend exclusively consists of Arabica beans, and is both USDA organic certified and entirely kosher.
Sumatran coffee stands out for its distinctiveness, making it an excellent choice for medium roasts. It possesses the bold taste that is typically associated with medium roasts, but without the occasional overpowering notes found in other coffee varieties. Sumatran coffee is known for its smoothness and full-bodied character, and the Organic Hurricane blend upholds this standard.
9. Death Wish Coffee
Death Wish is known for its claim to be the most potent coffee worldwide. Although it may seem like a clever marketing tactic at first glance, utilizing certain bean techniques could potentially validate this assertion. However, the ultimate potency of the coffee will primarily depend on how you brew it.
Putting aside the peculiar boasts, this coffee replicates the flavor that individuals commonly perceive as ‘strong’. It undergoes a dark roasting process. Many individuals equate the taste of a dark roast with strength, although dark roasts have the least amount of caffeine. However, this blend overcomes this drawback by utilizing Robusta beans instead of Arabica beans, enabling it to possess both an increased caffeine content and the dark roast flavor that many associate with caffeine. It is quite an odd combination.
If you are looking for a roast that perfectly captures the flavor of dark espresso, this option is highly recommended. While it may be considered a novelty due to its strong caffeine content, you may develop a liking for it.