Modern Organic Blog

The federal government set standards for the production, processing and certification of organic food in the Organic Food Production Act of 1990 (OFPA). The National Organic Standards Board was then established to develop guidelines and procedures to regulate all organic crops. The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) during December 2000 unveiled detailed regulations to implement OFPA. These took effect on April 21, 2001, with an 18-month implementation period ending October 2002. At that time, any food labeled organic must meet these national organic standards. USDA’s National Organic Program oversees the program.

United States of America (Press Release) October 10, 2008 -- What is Organic in the first place?

In the contemporary world organic agricultural production means using traditional methods and materials which are least harmful the surrounding environment. Like Mother Nature for millions of years, the organic agricultural production methods keeps rejuvenating the nutritional richness of soil and sustains its fertility. In the organic agricultural production methods toxic and harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides/insecticides are generally shun and at dire situations minimally used. Instead of them organic methods build biologically diverse agriculture to create the same effect naturally.

The meaning of Organic Coffee

Organic coffee means naturally shade grown coffee untouched by any harmful synthetic chemical and more importantly untouched by merely commercial and profit oriented methods that sacrifice environment leading to local ecological imbalance like severe deforestation, soil erosion and depletion etc.

Organic in the present profit oriented commercial situation of the world means ‘responsible living’, ‘protecting the earth for progeny’, ‘understanding the earth as a living system’ and ‘being knowledgeable about the harms of destroying any part of the eco system’ and so on.

‘Organic’ is the lifeline of future of the health of the earth and humankind.

The ‘real’ ‘natural’ and ‘actual’ coffee

In nature, coffee plants grow under the shade of other trees without needing much direct sun light. Growing under shade trees also means the falling leaves of other trees in due course of time turn out to be excellent natural manure. The layer on layer of fallen leaves works as a blanket to keep the soil moisture protected and intact. The lower layers with moisture and humidity compost and this natural fertilizer keeps the soil nutrients remain in natural balance without being depleted. And the soil remains fertile.

The rich canopy of shade trees also remains the home for varieties of birds which live on insects which in turn are dangerous pests of coffee plants. Due to the presence of large number of bird population, no need arises to use any harmful chemical insecticides. Thus, in the total absence of harmful chemical fertilizers or insecticides the pest controlling birds flourish and the environment remains naturally healthy and life sustaining and supportive.

The coffee grown in this natural environment is the actual coffee that enchanted the mankind through centuries with its taste and flavor.

The method of growing organic coffee

The natural and traditional method to start with involves inter-planting, which means, coffee plants planted along with other shade giving trees contrasting the commercially grown coffee under direct sun light without shade giving trees.

Secondly to allow the falling leaves of trees to compost to form natural fertilizer and to leave the fallen leaves without disturbing them to protect the soil moisture.

Thirdly by allowing the bird population to grow through avoiding felling of shade giving trees and the birds that live on small insects keeps the coffee plants bereft of pests. Birds are natural pesticide and insecticide provided by the nature and going along with nature is what organic method of growing coffee.

And finally through avoiding strictly the use of any chemical fertilizer, pesticide or insecticide the integrity of the natural taste and flavor of coffee is kept intact.

The last step of decaffeinating

For decaffeinating the organic coffee, it is essential to avoid using the commercially used chemical like methylene chloride or ethyl acetate which is considered harmful to human health and carcinogenic. And using such chemicals in the process of decaffeinating coffee beans actual corrupts the original taste and flavor of coffee.

To decaffeinating organic coffee, only certified organic decaffeination processes should be applied or it should be done by using just water to wash off caffeine using the much acclaimed and approved ‘Swiss Water Process’. This is the only accepted method for organic coffee to remain really organic and healthy.


Welcome Organic Coffee

Coffee thus produced under shade trees without the use of any harmful chemicals, be it fertilizer or insecticide and produced without harming the environment in any way like felling of trees leading to deforestation, and which results in soil erosion or depletion of natural nutrients of the soil and decaffeinated through right process is what organic coffee – the natural taste of coffee. And welcoming the organic coffee is a meaningful contribution you render to environmental protection and leave behind a healthy earth for our progeny.

Today's society is vigilant towards consciousness for health and people are constantly searching for factors that are able to give them an edge for achieving to be healthy. We all know that healthy diet, constant physical activity regime, and sufficient rest have profound impact upon our entire vitality. Subsequently, there are an overwhelming number of groups who swear that organic food is extremely beneficial for the overall health of individuals.

How Are Organic Foods Produced?
Produced in organic farms, these foods are grown under stern supervision and guidelines and are packaged and grown without using any pesticides, man-made fertilizers, preservatives, artificial colorings and other chemicals. Non-organic products are subjected to various chemicals, which are usually not thoroughly studied so that their effects over the consumers' body can be understood and contemplated. These chemicals may be linked to anything from some types of cancer to food allergies.

Benefits Of Consuming Organic Food
One of the main advantages of consuming organic food is that these food products are not at all subjected to any unreliable substances. Dairy and meat products prepared under organic principles are also free from any form of chemicals. Non-organic agricultural farmers usually subject the livestock to various chemical supplements designed for speeding their weight and growth. Further, cows in the dairies are given chemicals for increasing their milk productivity.

As per the guidelines for organic foods, the livestock is reared without using any antibiotics or growth hormones and are not genetically modified in any way. The benefits of organic foods are that the livestock are given only organic feed which is free from chemicals and supplements.

Another advantage of consuming organic food is its friendliness to the environment. The non-organic foods are treated through chemicals, which are responsible to change the landscape and contaminate the surrounding ground and water supplies. The ground in which organic food is grown experiences no changes. Making commitment towards using organic foods will make you healthy as the benefits of organic foods lie in enjoying natural whole foods free of chemicals.

As the benefits of organic foods are long lasting and varied to the environment, the decision for going organic is responsible and a healthy one.

In several countries, the producers of organic foods need to get an organic certification so that they can advertise their food products as organic. Chemical free food products are not able to cure any existing illness but are believed to reduce the risks of intoxication of the body, thereby leading to lesser health related problems. The market of organic foods has been fast developing, as the customers are becoming increasingly health conscious and aware about the after effects of pesticides and chemical fertilizers used in crops on their health.

Virtually, everyone may agree that organic vegetables, fruits, fish and meats are preferred to non-organic foods grown with insecticides, fungicides and chemical fertilizers. At present, non-organic food growers are allowed to make use of more than 1000 chemicals upon their crops, which may heavily lead to soil erosion because of over-farming to the dangerous toxics running off into drinking water.

------------------------

Please visit the following websites for more information:
http://www.organicfoodguides.com
http://www.herbalsupplementstips.com