Organic Coffee and Tea
The world can easily be divided into four groups; one belonging to those hard core coffee lovers who say that Organic Coffee is the best beverage in the world and they can go to any extent to prove their point; the second group belongs to those die hard fans of tea with their countless points in favour of their claim that Organic Tea is undoubtedly the best beverage in the world, both in terms of health and environment friendliness while the third group is composed of those who are crazy over Organic Cocoa and they have tons of evidences to prove that theirs choice is the best. The fourth group is constituted by those neutral clever fellows who drink whatever comes their way, that is, Organic Coffee and Tea and of course, Organic Cocoa, with equal ease and devotion. They are the smart crows who enjoy all the tastes and remain happy. Leaving the last two groups who seldom get into any controversy, an eternal debate is always going on between the other two groups regarding which is the best beverage in the world; Organic Coffee or Organic Tea? Here is a study in various aspects of Organic Coffee and Tea.
• Organic Coffee and Tea: Before I start, let me tell you that since I am here to tell you only about Organic Coffee and Tea, therefore I am not touching any other organic beverage. Now coming to the point. Without glancing through the statistical figures, it can easily be said that Organic Coffee and Tea are the two most popular organic beverages in the world. We shall not talk about which comes first in popularity and which one follows. Instead, we shall simply discuss the pros and cons of Organic Coffee and Tea.
I think you know very well that both Organic Coffee and Tea are grown without using any artificial fertilizer or artificial pesticides. Neither any chemical is used on them while processing or packaging. Hence, what you get is hundred percent pure natural and Organic Coffee and Tea. To be tagged as organic, these products must follow certain guidelines laid by controlling authorities like USDA, NPOP and other such bodies. Here are some of them;
• It must be natural, i.e. it must be a plant product or animal product.
• It must be grown without using any synthetic chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
• The land on which it is grown must be left fallow (uncultivated) for at least three years (in some cases, it may differ to five to ten years) so that it detoxifies itself from the remains of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, weedicides etc. used earlier on it. Within this period, no synthetic substances or chemicals should be applied on the land.
• It must not be obtained fully or partly from or must not contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).
• It must not be genetically manipulated or tailored.
• It must not be injected or administered with drugs to induce more and faster growth or to enhance quality of product.
• No chemicals or synthetic flavours, preservatives, colours must be used on the products during its processing.
• It must be packed in such packets that no chemical or metal salts disintegrate into the food packed in it.
Now, each of Organic Coffee and Tea has many varieties, to cater to different needs and tastes. Let us have a look at them.
• Varieties of Organic Coffee: Primarily, there are two main varieties of Organic Coffee;
• Organic Black/Brown Coffee: The regular fermented & roasted Organic Coffee.
• Organic Green Coffee: The fermented but non roasted Organic Coffee.
These varieties again, are sold with following tags in market,
• Organic Shade Grown Coffee: Organic Coffee grown in natural or artificial shade
• Organic Bird Friendly Coffee: So named as Organic Coffee does not harm environment
• Organic Gourmet Coffee: Organic Coffee with particular flavour & taste
• Organic Kona Coffee: Organic Coffee grown in Kona region of Hawaii
• Organic Fair Trade Coffee: Organic Coffee sold through Fair Trade Organizations
• Organic Decaf Coffee: Organic Coffee that is decaffeinated
• Varieties of Organic Tea: Like Organic Coffee, it has two main varieties;
• Organic Black Tea: The organically grown and fermented tea
• Organic Green Tea: The non fermented organic tea with following varieties;• Organic Gyokurocha: Tea leaves are picked from the tip of branches
• Organic Sencha: Bigger leaves are picked from the middle of branches
• Organic Bancha: Made from tender twigs & bigger leaves tea plant
• Organic Matcha: The dust of organic Gyokurocha or/and organic Sencha
• Organic Houjicha: Mixture of organic green tea and powdered & roasted organic cereals.
• Organic Genmaicha: Mixture of organic green tea and powder of roasted organic brown rice
In addition to these, there is one more variety that of Organic Tea which can be made from both black and green organic tea, given as under;• Organic Decaf Black/Green Tea: Decaffeinated Organic Black or Green Tea
• Health Benefits of Organic Coffee and Tea: Leaving the caffeine factor aside, the health benefits of both Organic Coffee and Tea are primarily due to the absence of harmful chemical residues in them, which are in addition to the general health benefits of normal coffee and tea, like providing energy, eliminating free radicals or oxidants, boosting immunity, fighting some forms of cancer, countering macular degeneration, weight loss, giving relief in arthritis, keeping the heart healthy etc. Since no chemical or artificial fertilizers, pesticides, weedicides, preservatives, processing agents etc. are used on them during their cultivation, processing and packaging; therefore these harmful compounds cannot enter your body and you are saved from the health risks which arise from their long term consumption, such as cancer, ulcers, loss of hair, loss of appetite and libido, hypertension, diabetes etc. There is good news for those who are concerned about that caffeine in Organic Coffee and Tea and that is, all varieties of Organic Coffee and Tea are also available in their decaffeinated form.
• Other Benefits: Organic Coffee and Tea are directly beneficial for your health and indirectly beneficial for the environment. This is because since no harmful chemicals are used in their cultivation and processing, therefore they do not contribute to the pollution of environment unlike their non organic counterparts. This is true for any organic crop or product. Further, their cultivation and processing is cheaper too (you can cut the cost of those chemical fertilizers, pesticides, processing reagents and preservatives).
• Drawbacks: The first and foremost drawback (it is not actually a drawback) of Organic Coffee and Tea is that their production is very less as compared to their non organic types. The reason being non use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. The growth of these crops is not as fast as their non organic sisters and they are often threatened by attack of deadly pests who cannot be controlled unless fatal poisons are used on them. Further, the total area used for cultivation of organic coffee and tea is very less as compared to that used for cultivating their non organic types. The reason is obvious; more production, more profit. This also makes them costlier than their counterparts. The second drawback is their uncertain and uneven availability. Organic Coffee and Tea are not as readily and as abundantly available as the non organic ones. A lot many factors like awareness, lesser production, higher price and stronger push by companies (who manufacture non organic coffee and tea) control their availability.
• What you see is not always what you get: Just the word “Organic” written on your pack of coffee or tea does not guarantee that the product is really organic. There are many fraudsters who sell non organic coffee and tea under the name of Organic Coffee and Tea to make more bucks (Organic products are costlier!). So, you need something to ascertain their authenticity. This can only be done by the certificates of organic products attached with these packs or displayed on them. There are many bodies functioning in various regions that certify these products as organic and keep a strict vigil on whether they are really following the prescribed guidelines and standards or not. These certificates are also required to be renewed periodically and it is not easy to fake them. So, you can trust them. Here are some of those bodies/organizations/authorities;
• Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS)
• USDA National Organic Program (NOP)
• European Organic Regulations (EU 2092/91)
• Export Certificates for Japan (JAS Equivalent)
• Indian National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).
• Quebec Organic Reference Standard (CAAQ)
• Bio Suisse Standards
• IOFAM Basic Standards
• ECOCERT
There is also provision for severe punishment for those who try to fake these certificates. Apart from certifying authenticity of products, these certificates also certify to what extent the contents are organic and also their quality, so that you get the best value for your money. There are three such standards;
• Hundred Percent Organic: Every bit of the certified product is absolutely organic.
• Organic: At lease ninety five percent of the certified products are organic.
• Made from Organic/Contains Organic: This certifies that at least seventy five percent of the certified products are organic.
• Availability: As told above, Organic Coffee and Tea is not that easily available as their non organic counterparts. The reasons being their lower production, higher price, lack of awareness etc. In India and its neighbouring countries, they are scantily available even in the metropolitan cities; leave the smaller cities and suburban towns. The scenario is not very different in many countries of Asia, Africa and Middle East. If it is not available in your locality or in your city or even in your country, you can always order some on internet with e-shopping giants who sell about everything on internet. Just order it there and get it delivered at your doorsteps.
• Social Impacts: Organic Coffee and Tea may certainly be credited for contributing towards building a healthier society and cleanlier environment. Although each of Coffee and Tea has very significant places in cultures of those places where they originated and flourished (for example coffee in few African and Latin American countries and tea in Chinese and Japanese cultures); their organic forms are not looked upon with much difference and hence they do not have any significant different impact on society.
• Economic Impacts: Both Organic Coffee and Tea make major contributions to the market and economy. Every year, millions of tons of Organic Coffee and Tea are sold and consumed and the consumption is increasing with increasing awareness.
• Finally: Drinking coffee and tea have their own merits and demerits. While they are very good anti oxidants and energizers, the caffeine present in them has harmful effects on health in the long run. This problem too has been overcome with decaffeinated coffee and tea. The last problem of presence of chemical residues can also be avoided with Organic Coffee and Tea. So, here is a little piece of advice. Whenever you are about to buy coffee or tea, try to pick Organic Coffee and Tea; for the sake of your own health and for the sake of the health of our environment. The sooner you start, the better it will be.
This article was contributed by Aparup Mukherjee
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