Triple Certified Coffee
Photo: Lifehack.org
Coffee is the world’s second most valuable commodity after petroleum. Today 25 million farmers and workers from more than 50 countries are involved in producing coffee. It is estimated that 11 million hectares of the world’s farmland are dedicated to the cultivation of coffee. A small portion of farms in this gigantic industry focus cultivating coffee using sustainable practices. The outcome of these sustainable practices is triple certified coffee.
In order to understand the benefits of triple certified coffee, we need to know a little of coffee’s history. Coffee thrives when grown in nitrogen-rich environments like the shade along forest floors. In the 20th century scientists developed coffee hybrids that yielded more fruit per plant but required more intense sunlight. As the demand for coffee increased forests were clear cut to plant fields of this new coffee crop. A majority of the coffee today is sun-farmed. This unprotected crop requires the use of many chemicals and pesticides and often needs to be replanted every 10-15 years. Triple certified coffee uses the methods of old but is grown with the social responsibility of the future. Triple certified coffee is certified:
Shade-grown: grown in the bio-diverse ecosystem of the forest.
Organic: requires no chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
Fair-Trade: focuses on development, education and health of the communities involved.
Article source: www.globalexchange.org