By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee
The fictional character, Juan Valdez, is a familiar icon for pure Colombian coffee and more recently the trade name for a chain of coffee shops featuring one hundred percent Colombian coffee. I asked myself the question recently if there is such a thing as Juan Valdez organic coffee. If Juan Valdez coffee is any batch of 100% pure Colombian coffee then there certainly is Juan Valdez organic coffee as there are organic coffee growers in Colombia. However, unfortunately, tour of the Spanish language Juan Valdez website does not reveal a distinct label for healthy organic coffee for any the international coffee chain’s coffees.
A question that comes to mind is this. Does organic coffee need to be certified as USDA organic coffee in order to be organic coffee? USDA certification assures the consumer that the coffee his is drinking has passed inspection, so to speak. Certified organic coffee is grown under sustainable growing conditions. It is almost always shade grown organic coffee. In growing organic coffee the grower does not use synthetic fertilizers, typically does not crowd his plants, intersperses his plants under a shade cover, avoid the use of herbicides and insecticides, and segregates his organic coffee from non-organic beans during processing, roasting, storage, and shipping. Proving this requires that the USDA or a designee show up where the coffee is grown and inspect the entire operation.
Now remember that Colombia has been dealing with an insurrection within its borders for more than fifty years after a period of upheaval called “la violencia.” Although the remaining rebel groups started with a Marxist–Leninist ideology many believe that they have simply become bandits and robber barons who at one point controlled - through threats - up to a third of the rural parts of Colombia.
These parts that have often been under de facto rebel control include parts of the Colombian Cafetero, one of the best coffee growing regions of the world. The Cafetero benefits from ample rainfall and high elevations. Coffee can be and commonly is grown on virtually every open space, hillside, mountain side, and sloping back yard. Much of the coffee is grown by traditional means. The coffee is interspersed with plants such as plantain. Much of this coffee is grown by people who are essentially subsistence farmers. They grow what they need to eat and pick what are, to a degree, wild coffee beans, for supplementary income. Growing organic coffee in the shade - much of this coffee is grown and processed under organic conditions and commonly comes down the mountain a burro led by a man, the icon of Juan Valdez organic coffee.
Perhaps one day organic coffee drinkers will be able to get their organic coffee antioxidants and organic coffee aroma from coffee grown and certified in Colombia, Juan Valdez organic coffee.
2. The fictional character, Juan
Valdez, is a familiar icon for pure
Colombian coffee and more
recently the trade name for a chain
of coffee shops featuring one
hundred percent Colombian coffee
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
3. I asked myself the
question recently if
there is such a thing
as Juan Valdez
organic coffee.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
4. If Juan Valdez coffee is any batch
of 100% pure Colombian coffee
then there certainly is Juan Valdez
organic coffee as there are organic
coffee growers in Colombia.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
5. However, unfortunately, tour of the
Spanish language Juan Valdez
website does not reveal a distinct
label for healthy organic coffee for
any the international coffee chain’s
coffees.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
6. A question that comes to mind is
this.
Does organic coffee need to be
certified as USDA organic coffee in
order to be organic coffee?
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
7. USDA certification assures the
consumer that the coffee his is
drinking has passed inspection, so
to speak.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
8. Certified organic coffee is grown
under sustainable growing
conditions.
It is almost always shade grown
organic coffee.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
9. In growing organic coffee the grower does
not use synthetic fertilizers, typically does
not crowd his plants, intersperses his
plants under a shade cover, avoid the use
of herbicides and insecticides, and
segregates his organic coffee from non-
organic beans during
processing, roasting, storage, and shipping.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
10. Proving this requires that the USDA or
a designee show up where the coffee is
grown and inspect the entire
operation.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
11. Now remember that Colombia has
been dealing with an insurrection
within its borders for more than fifty
years after a period of upheaval called
“la violencia.”
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
12. Although the remaining rebel groups
started with a Marxist–Leninist
ideology many believe that they have
simply become bandits and robber
barons who at one point controlled -
through threats - up to a third of the
rural parts of Colombia.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
13. These parts that have often been
under de facto rebel control include
parts of the Colombian Cafetero, one
of the best coffee growing regions of
the world.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
14. The Cafetero benefits from ample
rainfall and high elevations.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
15. Coffee can be and commonly is grown
on virtually every open
space, hillside, mountain side, and
sloping back yard.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
16. Much of the coffee is grown by
traditional means.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
17. The coffee is interspersed with plants
such as plantain.
Much of this coffee is grown by
people who are essentially
subsistence farmers.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
18. They grow what they
need to eat and pick
what are, to a
degree, wild coffee
beans, for
supplementary
income.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
19. Growing organic coffee in the shade -
much of this coffee is grown and
processed under organic conditions
and commonly comes down the
mountain a burro led by a man, the
icon of Juan Valdez organic coffee.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
20. Perhaps one day organic coffee
drinkers will be able to get their
organic coffee antioxidants and
organic coffee aroma from coffee
grown and certified in Colombia, Juan
Valdez organic coffee.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
21. However, until a gringo going into the
“selva” (jungle) in the cafetero is not
likely to be confused with a DEA
agent looking for cocaine production
and processing certified Juan Valdez
organic coffee many remain a
daydream.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
