Nancy's Coffee: A quick guide to common coffee terms...
A quick guide to common coffee terms...
Organic: grown without using complex man made chemicals, particularly artificial fertilizers and pesticides.
Sustainable: indicates an energy neutral production process. Energy put into processing coffee must balance the energy taken out to be sustainable.
Shade Grown and Bird Friendly: these terms are almost interchangeable and refer to the conditions under which coffee is grown. In general, it means that the plants were grown under a forest like canopy of shade, which also provides a habitat for flora and fauna (notably birds). This is intended to be a safegaurd against deforestation as well as population decline of migratory birds.
Fair Trade: fair trade addresses primarily the price points at which coffee is sold and traded on the world commodity market. Fair trade ensures a floor price that allows farmers to make minimal profits in such low markets. Fair Trade farmers receive a minimum of $1.26 for non organic coffees and $1.41 for certified organic coffees.
Sustainable: indicates an energy neutral production process. Energy put into processing coffee must balance the energy taken out to be sustainable.
Shade Grown and Bird Friendly: these terms are almost interchangeable and refer to the conditions under which coffee is grown. In general, it means that the plants were grown under a forest like canopy of shade, which also provides a habitat for flora and fauna (notably birds). This is intended to be a safegaurd against deforestation as well as population decline of migratory birds.
Fair Trade: fair trade addresses primarily the price points at which coffee is sold and traded on the world commodity market. Fair trade ensures a floor price that allows farmers to make minimal profits in such low markets. Fair Trade farmers receive a minimum of $1.26 for non organic coffees and $1.41 for certified organic coffees.
