Organic Coffee Sales Getting Steamy

U.S. retail sales of organic coffee rose 24% in 2006, according to new data released by the Organic Trade Association.

"The dramatic increase in organic coffee sales mirrors the continuing growth in the overall organic sector and reflects consumers' increasing awareness of these products, their high quality, and the availability of these beverages in venues ranging from small coffee shops to 'Big Box' stores," said Caren Wilcox, OTA's Executive Director.

Organic coffee is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, avoid the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture. Third-party certification organizations verify that organic farmers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production. Organic coffee is grown in more than 30 countries, including the United States.

The OTA, which is a trade group that promotes producers and suppliers of organic goods, has a project, the Organic Coffee Collaboration, that promotes organic coffee across various parts of the industry, including brokers, roasters and decaffeinators. The Collaboration includes:

• Cafe Bom Dia (Coral Gables, FL) - Through the Marques De Paiva brand, Cafe Bom Dia was the first coffee company worldwide to be certified as carbon-neutral.
• Dallis Coffee (New York, NY) - a provider of organic and Fair Trade Certified coffees, selling to Whole Foods, universities, cafes and restaurants across the country.
• DaSilva Fine Brazilian Coffee (Winston-Salem, NC) - Provides organic single-estate coffee directly from Espirito Santo, Brazil, hand-selected and picked only from the most recent crops.
• Elan Organic Coffees (San Diego, CA) - coffee developer and importer offering certified organic socially responsible coffees it develops through partnerships with village co-ops.
• Equal Exchange (West Bridgewater, MA) - worker-owned, Fair Trade Certified cooperative and one of largest U.S. organic coffee roasters.
• F. Gavina & Sons (Vernon, CA) - a family owned and operated specialty coffee roaster with over 135 years experience as growers, traders and roasters of coffees, including two organic varieties -- its Gavina Gourmet Coffee and Don Francisco's Specialty Coffee brands.
• Fresh Harvest Products, Inc. (New York, NY) - its Wings of Nature brand coffees are small-batch roasted and custom blended.
• Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (Waterbury, VT) - voted No. 1 on Business Ethics magazine's 2006 list of "100 Best Corporate Citizens."
• Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company (Vancouver, BC, Canada) - A certified organic coffee decaffeinator, which decaffeinates coffee for three other Organic Coffee Collaboration participants: Cafe Bom Dia, Elan Organic Coffees, and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.

For information about where to purchase organic coffee, and other information from the OTA, click here.

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