Unless you purchase organic coffee, most of your daily cup may have been produced using non-organic methods. Conventional farming practices utilize synthetic chemicals – including pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers – as well as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or intensive monocropping. By contrast, organic farming adheres to stringent standards to avoid using such synthetic inputs – which in order to qualify as certified organic require the entire crop, from seedling through roasting process, adhere strictly to its production guidelines.

Organic coffee beans provide many health advantages over their conventionally produced counterparts, from reduced exposure to toxic chemicals during production, as well as helping improve working and living conditions for those responsible.

Coffee plants are subject to many external stressors, such as pathogens, nutrient deficiencies and UV radiation. As an innate defense mechanism against these threats, plants produce secondary metabolites known as polyphenols, alkaloids and terpenoids as natural defense mechanisms; organic farming encourages this production by limiting synthetic inputs leading to greater levels of antioxidants in finished product.

Conventional chemical-based coffee cultivation can pose many environmental threats, polluting water sources and degrading ecosystems. DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), used extensively during coffee cultivation in Ethiopia during the 1940s, has been found in human breast milk, water sources and soil. Other synthetic chemicals commonly employed by traditional farming contribute to reduction of biodiversity, decrease of ecosystem function and an overall degradation of the environment.

Organic coffee uses natural pest control and fertilization techniques to decrease environmental contamination while at the same time conserving wildlife and ecosystems while still providing enough income to farmers.

Once harvested, beans must be transported to a processing facility for further handling and bagging. If this facility handles both organic and conventional coffee, its facilities must remain completely separate in order to avoid cross-contamination between the two varieties of coffee. Furthermore, any bags or bins used must be certified organic in order to guarantee any non-organic material will be eliminated prior to reuse.

Jim’s Organic Coffee uses the Swiss Water method for decaffeination, which is considered more safe than the methylene chloride-based methods utilized by other companies. Roasting gives their beans their distinct taste before shipping it off for shipment or delivery and enjoying! By choosing organically grown and processed coffee when shopping, you are voting with your dollars to support systems which value healthy ecosystems, sustainable methods – and superior coffee!