Organic Coffee Vs Regular Coffee: Which One Should You Drink?

Is organic coffee really all it’s cracked up to be? Let’s look at the data to find out.

Coffee is one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages. So it benefits us all to support coffee grown in a way that benefits the environment, the growers, and our health. We want to enjoy this delicious drink for as long as possible.

Surely that means buying organic coffee – or does it? Rather than make the assumption, I decided to dig into the scientific literature.

In this article, I’ll explore the differences between regular and organic coffee. Is one better than the other? Is it worth paying more for organic beans? The answers aren’t as obvious as you might expect.

Organic Vs Regular Coffee: What’s The Difference?

Let’s start by defining conventional and organic coffee beans. Both types of coffee start as the same coffee plant, with the difference arising in how they are grown and processed. Currently, organic coffee only occupies about 10% of the market share, but that is on the rise as consumers crave a way to shop their conscience (1).

Each country has its own certifying body for organic coffee. In America, it’s the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

To receive a USDA certification, organic coffee is grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. It must also be grown in fields that have been free of chemical fertilizers or pesticides for at least 3 years and not use or contain genetically modified organisms.

Certified organic coffee must adhere to these guidelines at every stage of growth and processing, including being roasted separately from conventional coffee.

An organic certification does not mandate that a coffee be shade grown or that other sustainable agriculture techniques, like intercropping, are used. However, organic farmers often resort to these strategies as a happy side effect.

Likewise, just because a coffee is organic doesn’t mean that it was grown ethically, nor does it guarantee that it is specialty coffee or the best coffee in the world. You likely won’t see or taste the difference.

Is Organic Coffee Better Than Regular Coffee?

I like to look at organic coffee from three perspectives when considering it compared to conventional coffee: environmental, socio-economic, and health. It’s easy to assume organic is always better, but I prefer to evaluate research and facts. So here’s what they have to say.

Is Organic Coffee Better For The Planet?

Overall, research supports organic coffee farming from an environmental perspective, particularly when farmers use additional strategies like shade trees and crop rotation. Organic farms are also (so far) less likely to be massive monocultures.

Organic coffee farms tend to have better soil, and it gets better the longer a farm remains organic (3). Studies have also shown that the carbon footprint of organic coffee is smaller than its conventional counterpart (3).

There is also plenty of research demonstrating that organic food farming supports biodiversity, though I couldn’t find anything coffee farm-specific (4). There is a trade-off to consider, however. Organic farming lowers yields, which can decrease biodiversity by increasing land-use requirements.

Pesticide use in conventional farming, particularly in poor regions with insufficient education about the use of chemicals, is damaging to the surrounding ecosystems. One study showed that only about 35% of pesticides ended up on target, with the rest landing in the nearby soil, organisms, and water supply (5).

Is Organic Coffee Better For Farmers And Their Families?

Unfortunately, this aspect is a little less straightforward. Coffee farmers are not necessarily well-rewarded for the effort they must put into acquiring an organic certification (6).

Organic farming practices make it more challenging to manage pests and diseases, requiring additional inputs of expensive organic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. It may mandate more hands-on labor to manage pests without chemical options. Growing organic coffee also lowers yields, meaning coffee growers will need to acquire more land to achieve the same output – something often not economically viable for smallholder farmers.

Then, there is the expense of the organic certification itself, which runs from hundreds to thousands of dollars and must be redone every year.

The trade-off is that organic coffee can be sold for more money, but the farmers don’t necessarily receive a huge portion of those profits. The Fairtrade model is the only one that guarantees a minimum; farmers receive an additional 40 cents per pound for organic beans (7).

Is Organic Coffee Healthier Than Regular Coffee?

Our gut reaction is to say drinking organic coffee is better for human health, but is that true? 

The fears of pesticides and other agrochemicals ending up in your cup are largely unfounded (8). Even though conventional coffee cherries are heavily chemically treated, the processing and roasting process lowers pesticide levels well into the safe range by the time you’re brewing the beans – certainly below many vegetables and fruits in the grocery store. 

Of course, if you are concerned, you can stick with brands like Lifeboost Coffee that use third-party testing to guarantee their organic coffee is free of pesticides and dozens of other possible contaminants.

What about other nutrients? It’s a bit of a mixed bag. One study found that non-organic coffee had higher levels of beneficial minerals like copper, iron, and zinc (9). Another found that organic coffee had a higher caffeine and antioxidant content (10). Both studies found that the differences were too low to impact the health or behavior of their subjects (which were rats).

Final Thoughts

I found the difference between organic and regular coffee to be a fascinating research topic, and I’m so pleased I did this deep dive beyond the generic headlines. Ultimately, coffee is a complicated beverage – both chemically and economically – and it’s hard to make blanket statements.

Here is my summary:

• Organic coffee, particularly when also shade-grown, is clearly better for the environment. 
• Organic coffee isn’t necessarily healthier than regular coffee, but it certainly doesn’t hurt – unless it takes too much of your budget away from other healthy habits.
• Choose organic coffee beans that are also Fairtrade certified if you want to ensure farmers are receiving at least a minimum compensation for their efforts.