FAQ: Does Andytown Carry Organic Coffee?
It’s an achievement when farms obtain organic certification. It’s a guarantee that producers are committed to farming practices that are good for the earth and have met the standards for producing high quality coffees without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. However, organic certification, like other sustainable certifications, can be costly because of fees associated with the certification process. As a result, large farms that can afford the certification are at an advantage, while small sustainable farms that can’t afford certification are often left behind. Certification can make the vetting process a lot easier, but it can also limit our ability to work with folks who are already doing amazing work.
Lowell Powell of Catracha Coffee Company believes that the cost of certification takes a way from the farmers' bottom line. “We believe organic practices are more economical for farmers, are better for the environment, and create local employment. So we believe in organic practices but not certification.”
Organic fertilizer, is produced by Catracha Coffee Company in Santa Elena, Honduras. Known as “bokashi", this fertilizer is a mixture of limestone, chicken manure, ash, volcanic sand, coffee pulp, and waste water from washing coffee (rich in coffee mucilage), worm compost, microorganisms, and wheat bran. Farmers associated with Catracha Coffee use bokashi to provide nutrients to their coffee trees.
We try to do more business with small scale producers who share our core values, and instead of relying solely on certifications, we verify good farming practices by visiting our coffee producers, like Catracha Coffee Company, and working with our trusted importers. While we have some coffees on our menu that come from certified organic farms, we don’t label the roasted coffee as organic because we aren’t able to clean out the roaster when we switch between roasting certified and non-certified coffees.
We trust that our partners are honest with us in the practices, and we hope you trust us in providing you with sustainable, high quality coffees. If you’re curious about a specific coffee and want to learn more, feel free to reach out!
