Your morning cup of coffee likely contains non-organic beans unless you live in an exotic locale, since most coffee plantations use pesticides to protect crops against fungi, insects, weeds and diseases. Unfortunately, these chemicals often leech into the soil where they harm ecosystems and pollute water supply sources; choosing organic beans helps combat this problem while providing additional vitamins and antioxidants than their non-organic counterparts.

Even after making a cup of freshly-ground, fair trade organic coffee, don’t throw the leftover grounds in the garbage can just yet! Used coffee grounds contain micronutrients that can benefit plants and help improve soil structure by holding onto more water and nutrients better – thus justifying their inclusion on garden beds, or by working them into them using rake or hoe.

Because of their acidic nature, coffee grounds are an effective natural fertilizer to lower your plant’s pH levels below 6 or 7. They may even help deter slugs – though be cautious around sensitive plants, as coffee grounds contain caffeine!

Applying coffee grounds as organic fertilizer is simple, but requires expertise to use properly. Avoid mixing them into your potting soil or burying them because this could become too rich for plants and cause root burn. Instead, Thom suggests pouring the diluted coffee onto soil surfaces before lightly raking it in; the resultant nutrient-rich compost will help retain moisture levels while providing additional aeration, yet should not be applied directly onto young seedlings.

As coffee grounds decompose, they release nitrogen into the soil, which can benefit some plant growth. However, keep in mind that some nitrogen is captured by soil microorganisms; thus adding other sources of this nutrient such as animal manure, grass clippings or decomposed compost will still be necessary for a balanced garden or potting mix.

Coffee plants may seem daunting to farmers, but their advantages are clear: when grown organically they don’t require pesticide sprays to protect them from insects, fungus or other potentially damaging elements – and thus produce healthier beans for us to enjoy!

Organic farming practices work more sustainably with nature than against it, which makes for more eco-friendly coffee farming practices. Organic farms reduce greenhouse emissions and support carbon sequestration efforts while providing coffee producers with income.

As coffee beans are harvested manually, it can be labor intensive and time consuming for coffee farmers to harvest the beans by hand. Organic coffee growsers may find organic coffee less costly to produce and may see higher profits than non-organic competitors.