Traditional coffee trees were grown under the protection of taller fruit trees and hardwood species. But during the last 20 years, a new kind of technique in coffee cultivation has been becoming more and more popular in coffee-growing areas of the world. The new method abandons the age-old concept of mixing coffee amongst taller trees. With high applications of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemical substances, some producers have succeeded in cultivating coffee in huge tracks of shade-less land. Such coffee grown under the direct heat of the sun is called sun coffee.
Planting sun coffee can indeed raise production; nevertheless, this non-traditional way of cultivating has serious repercussions. For one thing, production techniques can result to increased rates of soil degradation. Sun coffee plantation technique also calls for clearing large tracks of forest lands. So it is not surprising that this method of planting coffee can greatly heighten the rate of deforestation, depriving wildlife of their natural habitat. Worse, heavy usage of pesticides result in a double-jeopardy case for animals living along the fringes of sun coffee plantations.
Aside from posing threats to the environment and the wildlife, this somewhat industrial way of cultivating coffee may also have serious negative repercussions for consumer. As discussed earlier, loads of chemicals are needed to grow coffee under the direct heat of the sun. Sure, most of these chemicals are washed away by occasional rains, but it is highly possible that a minute quantity might just seep into the cherries. And what's contained in the cherries may also be retained once the beans are roasted and packaged. For all you know, you might be drinking coffee tainted with unwanted chemical contents. This is not some sort of a scare-tactic: it is a fact.
But the whole thing is not all that dark. There is a positive side to every story. In today's world, the consumer has the power to choose. Not all coffee sold in the market nowadays come from sun coffee plantations. There are still retailers that sell coffee produced by farmers adhering to traditional coffee cultivation methods. One particular example is the organic Kona coffee that comes from Hawaii's Kona district.
Coffee first came in Kona during the early part of the 19th century. Since then, little has changed in the way coffee's grown in the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa, the major areas where organic Kona coffee are generally grown. Coffee in Kona is grown without the help of taller fruit trees. But that does not mean that Kona farmers resort to heavy application of pesticides like sun coffee growers do. After an intensely sunny morning, humid clouds roll throughout the mountainous coffee plantation areas, providing much needed shade to Kona's delicate Arabica coffee trees. Coupled with the fact that Kona is blessed with a very nutrient-rich volcanic soil, it stands to reason why farmers here do not resort to artificial means to enhance growth of their coffee.
The end result to this all-natural coffee growing process is a pure organic coffee that not only provides a flavorful and great-tasting drink to consumers, but also a healthy product that is free of unwanted chemical compounds. Buy organic Kona coffee now and experience the joy of drinking coffee at its unadulterated natural form.
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