Here at Buy Organic Coffee we promote both regular and organic coffee. Organic coffee is generally more expensive. Does that mean it is better than normal coffee? There are two issues when it comes to organic coffee. They are coffee quality and the absence of impurities commonly found in your regular cup of Java. As we have often noted, in places like the Colombian coffee growing axis west of the Northern Volcanic front of the Andes, you can find lots of coffee that is essentially organic in everything but name and certification. So, which is better?
What is Organic Coffee?
When growing organic coffee the coffee farmer avoids things like genetically modified organisms and synthetic fertilizers. They promote sustainable farming by using natural fertilizers such as manure or compost. When dealing with pests they do not use pesticides but rather plant coffee under a forest cover where birds live and come to eat coffee pests. Also they may introduce insects and predators that are likely to control pests. Botanical extracts such as soap spray or neem can be use as well. Diligent care of the ground around the coffee plant to remove refuse that provides a home for insects is also useful. These steps are what make organic coffee free of impurities. Next the coffee farmer needs to be certified.
Organic Coffee Certification Is Delegate to Local Agencies
The US Department of Agriculture certifies organic foods including coffee. Because the vast majority of coffee consumed in the USA is grown outside of the USA the USDA delegates certification to local agencies. For example in Colombia, Control Union is one of the agencies designated to do certification.
What Does Organic Coffee Certification Require?
This process is not instantaneous. Someone comes out to the coffee farm and tests for prohibited substances such as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides. The coffee farm must be proven to be free of these for at least three years. In addition, if the coffee farmer grows both regular and organic coffee, measures must be in place to make sure that there is no contamination of organic fields, processing facilities or storage by regular coffee or measures taken when growing it or dealing with infestations, etc. On top of this the coffee farmer needs to pay for certification. Depending on the size and complexity of the coffee farm and its annual production the total can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Thus, it can be a significant cost to go organic and this cost needs to be covered by what the grower can make by selling his coffee. This, along with the greater amount of work required to grow organic coffee versus regular accounts for most of the cost difference between the two.

Which Is Better Coffee, Organic or Regular?
If your standard for judging coffee is its purity, organic coffee is clearly the better choice. But there is one caveat. There are many small coffee farmers who grow coffee using sustainable farming practices indistinguishable from those of certified organic coffee farmers. They simply cannot afford to pay the certification fee because of the price they get for their coffee. On the other hand your standard for judging coffee may simply be that of taste and aroma. Here organic coffee generally ranks with the best coffees. Typically, a coffee farmer will not go to the trouble of going organic without going with a fine Arabica variety. Thus, they end up producing a great tasting coffee with fine aroma and without a whole host of impurities. You can generally assume that when you buy organic coffee you will get top quality along with organic coffee safety.