Okay, so I’ve been getting really into coffee lately. Not just drinking it, but like, understanding where it comes from. And that got me thinking about organic coffee – what makes it “organic,” especially when it comes to bugs and stuff? I mean, coffee plants must get attacked by pests, right? So, I did a little digging, and here’s what I found out, step by step.
My Mini-Research Project: What Do They Spray on Organic Coffee?
First, I went down the Google rabbit hole. I just started searching for stuff like “organic coffee farming” and “pest control organic coffee.” It was a bit overwhelming at first, lots of jargon and official-sounding websites.
I learned pretty quickly that synthetic pesticides are a big no-no in organic farming. That’s kind of the whole point, right? But then, what do they use?
I started to see some common themes popping up:
- “Beneficial insects.” Sounds weird, but basically, it’s using good bugs to fight bad bugs. Like, ladybugs eating aphids.
- “Natural” pesticides. I saw a lot about things derived from plants or minerals.
- Traps and barriers.Physical ways to stop the bugs.
Checking real shops:
I went to a few of my local coffee shops that advertise selling organic beans.I just straight-up asked the baristas! Most of them didn’t know the specifics (which is fair, they’re busy making coffee!), but one person mentioned something about “checking the certifications.”
So, that’s what I did next. I looked for those little organic certification labels on coffee packaging. And I noticed they often had websites listed. So, I spent a bit of time on those websites.
What I found:
Most importantly: I couldn’t found any proof about using any pesticides on the organic * mean,I confirmed “organic” really does mean something!
It was a bit of a messy process, jumping around from websites to coffee shops, but I feel like I have a much better understanding now. It’s not just about what they don’t use (synthetic stuff), it’s about a whole different approach to farming and dealing with pests.
