Rich, aromatic and eye-opening, coffee is the most popular beverage in the U.S., with about 54% of Americans drinking at least one cup a day and 25% indulging occasionally, according to a report from the National Coffee Association. In the course of one year, Americans consume an astounding 2.3 billion pounds of coffee, more than any other nation in the world.
Most coffee is grown in tropical, mountainous regions in countries where there are little or no standards regarding the use of chemicals or pesticides on food. This poses two problems. First, it’s a potential health hazard for consumers who may ingest harmful substances farmers use to protect their coffee crops from insects, pests and disease. Second, it’s harmful to the environment and may threaten the health of the rural poor who work to produce the crops.
Organic coffee is grown and processed without the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or chemical fertilizers. It’s produced in conditions that have a low impact on the environment, allowing soil and water to stay healthy and wildlife to stay safe. Farmers and community members are also protected, as they’re not regularly exposed to toxic chemicals.
While it may not seem like a big deal, especially if you drink only a cup or two of coffee a day, consider this: a two-cup-a-day coffee drinker consumes the entire annual harvest of 18 coffee trees per year. Imagine also consuming the chemicals that were sprayed on those trees, day after day, year after year! Make the switch to organic coffee today””for your own health and for the health of the environment.