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Is Organic Coffee Better For You Than Regular Coffee?
Coffee is an incredibly beneficial beverage that has many health advantages. But selecting the appropriate kind is key: organic coffee offers superior benefits for both you and the planet, without harmful chemicals that could affect our bodies and the environment. Furthermore, its antioxidant-rich composition could potentially prevent diseases or slow aging processes.
Organic coffee is made from beans grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers and meets USDA organic certification criteria for production, processing and roasting. Farmers must abide by strict guidelines in order to earn this label and be free of GMOs while using non-synthetic fertilizers such as coffee pulp, manure or compost – otherwise organic certification could be revoked immediately.
Non-organic coffee farming uses numerous synthetic pesticides which pose health risks to both farmers and consumers alike. These chemicals may contaminate water sources or even leach into beans during roasting; additionally they have been linked to depression and reduced neurotransmitter function for farmers themselves, as well as potentially polluting soil, leading to reduced biodiversity and habitat loss.
Non-organic coffee has devastating environmental implications. Agricultural chemicals used as part of its production contribute significantly to soil erosion and deforestation in developing countries, and water contamination. DDT, which was widely used as an insecticide throughout Ethiopia starting in 1940s as an insecticide was responsible for polluting its soil, water supplies, as well as harming native species and animals residing within its borders.
Organic farming allows land to retain its natural nutrients and diversity while being safer for workers exposed to toxic chemicals. Furthermore, coffee trees often grow under shade trees which provide habitat for local species; sun plantations create monoculture crops which destabilize natural food webs.
Organic coffee is an ideal way to protect both yourself and your family’s health, having been shown to reduce mycotoxins – cancer-causing molds found in conventionally produced and brewed coffee – and boast high levels of antioxidants that provide numerous health benefits for body and brain.
When purchasing coffee, look for the USDA organic label as an easy way to ensure it was produced in accordance with strict ethical standards. To make an even bigger impact, ask local coffee shops and restaurants if they offer organic coffee and encourage them to offer it if not already doing so. You could also support the organic coffee movement by making donations to organizations dedicated to sustainable agriculture practices or fair trade practices worldwide, like Organic Krush’s vast selection of certified fair trade beans as well as its many accessories – which you may find here.