Today, we have three basic choices in green coffee - organic, shade grown and fair trade.  All of these coffee varieties are being sold in many supermarkets and online sites under different brands, with different flavors and with different strengths.  But what is more important than brand, flavor and strength is how each one measures up according to the eco-friendly scale.

Organic Coffee

Your organic coffee most likely comes from Peru, the world’s largest producer and exporter of the commodity, with other major producers being Mexico and Ethiopia.  The organic certification on coffee will only be provided under the strictest of conditions outlined as follows:

-It must have been grown on land free from pesticides and other banned substances for at least 3 years.

-The land itself must have an adequate buffer between the closest traditional crop and the organic coffee being grown.

-Principles of sustainable crop rotation must be applied, said principles of which aim to prevent erosion and the depletion of nutrients in the soil as well as control pests the natural way.

Aside from the environmental benefits of organic coffee, your health also benefits in the sense that your body is spared the synthetic chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers that come with growing coffee the traditional way.

Shade-Grown Coffee

As the name implies, shade-grown coffee is cultivated under a canopy of assorted species of trees, bushes and plants.  In fact, coffee farms often resemble full-grown forests of fruit and hardwood trees at the top with assorted bushes in the middle and the coffee plants below.  Because of such plant arrangement, shade-grown coffee plants host a sustainable ecosystem with a vibrant bird population.

Also, shade-grown coffee is cultivated the organic way with very minimal, if any, use of chemical fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides.  As such, the environment does not suffer from toxic runoffs, soil erosion and nutrient depletion.

Now, contrast these benefits with sun-grown coffee where forests must be cut down to make way for coffee farms.  Plus, chemicals must be used to encourage faster growth that, sadly, leads to environmental destruction in the long run.

Fair Trade Coffee

Simply put, fair trade coffee is the commodity bought directly from the farmers/growers at a higher price than is given for standard coffee.  The premiums paid on fair trade coffee are then used to promote the social welfare of the farmers and their families as well as communities through projects focused on health, education and infrastructure.  Another notable fact is that these programs and projects are decided on by the farmers themselves through their own cooperatives.

In addition to the human side of fair trade coffee, it is also certified organic.  The farmers are educated on the technology and techniques of cultivating better grade organic coffee that will command higher prices in the market.  And being organic, the environment benefits in the same way as for organic coffee without the fair trade certification.

No matter your choice in the abovementioned green coffee, you have the assurance of knowing that with each cup of the drink of the gods, you are also helping Mother Nature.  Now, that is a thought worth getting up in the morning for a hot cup of the brown brew.