juan valdez and organic coffee

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and Organic Coffee By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

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By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee The fictional character, Juan Valdez, is a familiar icon for pure Colombian coffee and more recently the trade name for a chain of coffee shops featuring one hundred percent Colombian coffee. I asked myself the question recently if there is such a thing as Juan Valdez organic coffee. If Juan Valdez coffee is any batch of 100% pure Colombian coffee then there certainly is Juan Valdez organic coffee as there are organic coffee growers in Colombia. However, unfortunately, tour of the Spanish language Juan Valdez website does not reveal a distinct label for healthy organic coffee for any the international coffee chain’s coffees. A question that comes to mind is this. Does organic coffee need to be certified as USDA organic coffee in order to be organic coffee? USDA certification assures the consumer that the coffee his is drinking has passed inspection, so to speak. Certified organic coffee is grown under sustainable growing conditions. It is almost always shade grown organic coffee. In growing organic coffee the grower does not use synthetic fertilizers, typically does not crowd his plants, intersperses his plants under a shade cover, avoid the use of herbicides and insecticides, and segregates his organic coffee from non-organic beans during processing, roasting, storage, and shipping. Proving this requires that the USDA or a designee show up where the coffee is grown and inspect the entire operation. Now remember that Colombia has been dealing with an insurrection within its borders for more than fifty years after a period of upheaval called “la violencia.” Although the remaining rebel groups started with a Marxist–Leninist ideology many believe that they have simply become bandits and robber barons who at one point controlled - through threats - up to a third of the rural parts of Colombia. These parts that have often been under de facto rebel control include parts of the Colombian Cafetero, one of the best coffee growing regions of the world. The Cafetero benefits from ample rainfall and high elevations. Coffee can be and commonly is grown on virtually every open space, hillside, mountain side, and sloping back yard. Much of the coffee is grown by traditional means. The coffee is interspersed with plants such as plantain. Much of this coffee is grown by people who are essentially subsistence farmers. They grow what they need to eat and pick what are, to a degree, wild coffee beans, for supplementary income. Growing organic coffee in the shade - much of this coffee is grown and processed under organic conditions and commonly comes down the mountain a burro led by a man, the icon of Juan Valdez organic coffee. Perhaps one day organic coffee drinkers will be able to get their organic coffee antioxidants and organic coffee aroma from coffee grown and certified in Colombia, Juan Valdez organic coffee.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

and Organic CoffeeBy w

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Page 2: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

The fictional character, Juan Valdez, is a familiar icon for pure

Colombian coffee and more recently the trade name for a chain

of coffee shops featuring one hundred percent Colombian coffee

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 3: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

I asked myself the question recently if there is such a thing

as Juan Valdez organic coffee.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 4: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

If Juan Valdez coffee is any batch of 100% pure Colombian coffee

then there certainly is Juan Valdez organic coffee as there are organic

coffee growers in Colombia.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 5: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

However, unfortunately, tour of the Spanish language Juan Valdez

website does not reveal a distinct label for healthy organic coffee for any the international coffee chain’s

coffees.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 6: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

A question that comes to mind is this.

Does organic coffee need to be certified as USDA organic coffee in

order to be organic coffee?

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 7: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

USDA certification assures the consumer that the coffee his is

drinking has passed inspection, so to speak.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 8: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

Certified organic coffee is grown under sustainable growing

conditions. It is almost always

shade grown organic coffee.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 9: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

In growing organic coffee the grower does not use synthetic fertilizers, typically does

not crowd his plants, intersperses his plants under a shade cover, avoid the use

of herbicides and insecticides, and segregates his organic coffee from non-

organic beans during processing, roasting, storage, and shipping.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 10: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

Proving this requires that the USDA or a designee show up where the coffee is

grown and inspect the entire operation.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 11: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

Now remember that Colombia has been dealing with an insurrection

within its borders for more than fifty years after a period of upheaval called

“la violencia.”

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 12: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

Although the remaining rebel groups started with a Marxist–Leninist

ideology many believe that they have simply become bandits and robber

barons who at one point controlled - through threats - up to a third of the

rural parts of Colombia. By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 13: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

These parts that have often been under de facto rebel control include

parts of the Colombian Cafetero, one of the best coffee growing regions of

the world.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 14: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

The Cafetero benefits from ample rainfall and high elevations.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 15: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

Coffee can be and commonly is grown on virtually every open space,

hillside, mountain side, and sloping back yard.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 16: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

Much of the coffee is grown by traditional means.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 17: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

The coffee is interspersed with plants such as plantain.

Much of this coffee is grown by people who are essentially

subsistence farmers.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 18: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

They grow what they need to eat and pick

what are, to a degree, wild coffee

beans, for supplementary

income.By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 19: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

Growing organic coffee in the shade - much of this coffee is grown and

processed under organic conditions and commonly comes down the

mountain a burro led by a man, the icon of Juan Valdez organic coffee.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 20: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

Perhaps one day organic coffee drinkers will be able to get their organic coffee antioxidants and

organic coffee aroma from coffee grown and certified in Colombia, Juan

Valdez organic coffee.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

Page 21: Juan Valdez and Organic Coffee

However, until a gringo going into the “selva” (jungle) in the cafetero is not

likely to be confused with a DEA agent looking for cocaine production and processing certified Juan Valdez

organic coffee many remain a daydream.

By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org