Many consumers turn to organic coffee out of concern for both themselves and for those working to grow and harvest it. Unfortunately, conventionally grown coffee involves heavy usage of pesticides and herbicides which harm both people and planet. As such, demand has skyrocketed for organic varieties; Technavio analysts forecast an 13% rise by 2021.

“Organic” is more than just a marketing term: it implies that seeds, beans, fruits, leaves and pods produced must not come into contact with synthetic chemicals like herbicides and pesticides during propagation, growth, processing transporting storage or roasting – such as herbicides and pesticides – in any capacity during their growth cycle. This requires going through an elaborate certification process which is carried out by various organizations within a standard framework which has become part of law in many countries including the U.S.

Though organic vegetables do not require certification to sell them, roasters wishing to market their coffees as organic must provide their certifying agency with documentation from farms and importers, and undergo annual inspections similar to what Kosher food requires. Unfortunately, this adds cost to coffee sold as organic, making it harder for smaller-scale roasters such as those discussed here to afford this process.

These brands utilize certified organic beans and Fair Trade practices to ensure farmers are paid fairly, while treating coffee in an eco-friendly manner. Their focus on small and medium-sized independent coffee producers with traceable roots back to villages of origin prevents large-scale corporate producers from creating poor working conditions while at the same time harming the environment.