Although organic certification may be important to some consumers, it shouldn’t be seen as the only means of producing coffee. While organic certification provides benefits to farmers, there are other sustainable methods of cultivating top-quality beans without incurring expensive organic certificates fees.

For farms to achieve USDA Organic certification, they must abide by a set of stringent guidelines that prohibit the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers as well as promote biodiversity in their soil while encouraging a healthy ecosystem without resorting to genetically modified organisms (GMO). Not only will this system help the environment but it will also increase coffee plant health while supporting sustainable farming practices for the future.

As part of their organic certification requirements, farmers must also keep their certified land free from banned chemicals for three years prior to harvesting organic coffee. They must also exercise care when handling both organic and non-organic varieties as cross contamination could result in loss of organic certification status. Farmers growing both conventional and organic crops must use separate harvesting, processing and milling equipment or ensure thorough cleaning between batches of crops.

Another factor influencing whether a farm can obtain organic certification is its water source. According to National Organic Standards, all irrigation water must come from safe sources – typically springs or wells registered as organic. Furthermore, all samples tested must pass muster with an official testing lab approved by USDA for certification purposes.

Apart from USDA Organic certification, various organizations also provide organic certification of food. One such organization is Rainforest Alliance, an organization focused on sustainability and social justice issues; their certification process for coffee includes shade management considerations as well as being capable of producing healthy crops with minimum environmental impacts.

However, even when employing organic growing techniques, some small-scale operators cannot afford the higher costs that organic certification requires. This is particularly prevalent among farmers in Latin America where synthetic input costs make shifting towards organic agriculture too prohibitive to manage.

Organic certification remains an integral component of sustainable coffee production. No matter their certification status, roasters should strive to work with farmers who use organic methods and provide them with fair prices so that they may continue farming responsibly for many years to come. At the core, every roaster should aim to ensure customer satisfaction through what they’re selling. At Joe’s Garage Coffee and other renowned suppliers, we aim to meet this need by providing organic options for those who seek them – while still offering access to a diverse selection of high-quality beans from different regions around the globe. That is why we carry small-batch organically certified beans from Joe’s Garage Coffee!