By Kyle Walsh, Field Research and Statistics Intern
Regardless of variety, flavor, price, or brand, coffee beans are sourced by consumers throughout the world from the Global South. Exceptions certainly exist to this statement, such as the high quality Kona origin in Hawaii, yet the reality is that the United States imports green coffee from some of the worlds socially, economically, and governmentally poorest regions. Such a condition of trade nation differences has direct implications to our purchasing decisions in the States, especially in terms of organically produced coffee.
Striving to convert all food consumption to organically sourced products can provide plenty of well known benefits to consumers, such as human health benefits and ecological sustainability. Yet there are times when choosing “against” organic could very well be the more responsible decision, and coffee consumption is an excellent example of this situation. While many farmers throughout the world have successfully converted to organic production as the demand for specialty coffee has risen, the economic status of the Global South often prevents certain farmers from converting (possibly due to poverty traps). As a consumer, you might choose against purchasing a non-organic origin produced by such farmer because it is not organically grown, and in doing so you are preventing that farmer from attaining a demand that can translate into a profit which he/she can use to convert to organic production.
This argument isn’t meant to encourage the purchasing of non-organic coffee, but simply implores you to use an educated decision when you go to buy your next bag of coffee. Some companies, such as Counter Culture Coffee and Intelligentsia, support many farmers with organic certification, while aiding non-organic producers in gaining the demand necessary to convert. See if you can find any other companies with a similar model of social responsibility, there are plenty to found throughout the U.S.!
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