The Truth About Organic Whole Bean Coffee

August 28, 2017|Russell Volz|Beans And Roasting

Is Organic Whole Bean Coffee Best?

In today’s world success is largely based on perception; short actors are made to appear tall; chemically laden foods are sold as health food; models are photoshopped to the point of appearing like goddesses; the ugly become beautiful; idiots have PhD’s; welfare moms drive Mercedes; McDonald’s has fine dinning; the bad-guy is the hero; evil is glorified; nudity is made wholesome; and lying is relative. Truth, in all forms, has taken a backseat to appearances. This is especially true when it comes to organic foods, which includes organic whole bean coffee.

Let’s start off by defining the term “organic”. In a nutshell organic basically means – no chemical pesticides, no genetically modified organisms, and no inorganic fertilizers. The premise here is that anything man-made is bad, but mother-nature knows best.

Is Organic Better?

The argument is that “organic” food tastes better, is better for the environment, and better for your body. Is this true? If it is true, then great, let’s jump on the bandwagon and take a ride to nirvana heaven. But let me humbly ask, what’s the basis for believing that “organic” is better?

As it turns out, there was a five year study done by Quality Low Input Food (QLIF) that showed organic food was better for you. In fact, there have been a few studies that substantiate their findings. If you read these studies, their conclusions are replete with words like, “might”, “could be”, “has the potential”, “possible”, etc.

The Evidence

Overall, there is little evidence to prove that organic foods are better for you; quite the opposite actually. For example, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued a report, saying “Consumers may choose to buy organic fruit, vegetables and meat because they believe them to be more nutritious than other food. However, the balance of current scientific evidence does not support this view.”

In fact, when it comes to coffee, experts have proven that when non-organic whole bean coffee is roasted, typically at 500 degrees Fahrenheit, any chemicals that happen to be on these beans are burned off, leaving nothing but pure “coffee” behind.

Certified By Whom?

And when it comes to Organically Certified, certified by whom? Almost all coffee sold in the US claiming “Organic” is in fact certified by the grower’s country. That means that “organic” in Somalia means something entirely different than “organic” in Nicaragua.

What about taste? Again, studies continually show that in blind tests, consumers can’t tell the difference between organic and modern day industrial farming produce. And when it comes to coffee, in my own testing, most American coffee consumers can’t tell the difference between Starbucks and Kingsford charcoal! Now, I know that you readers are different. You’re coffee snobs, so that last statement doesn’t apply to you.

Organic Costa Rican Coffee?

Where does that leave Lake City Coffee? We only purchase single source, whole bean coffee, from Costa Rica. I personally know a few of these Costa Rican coffee farmers and I can categorically say that their passion for ecology is legendary. Few countries have higher environmental and farming standards than Costa Rica.

So, do we always buy organic whole bean coffee? No we don’t. Do we always buy Costa Rican Coffee? Yes we do. We purchase the finest coffee beans that money can buy, whether they’re organic or not. This is one reason that our coffee is so smooth and naturally sweet.