Organic Coffee Research Articles

Export and Competitiveness of Indonesian Coffee Bean in International Market: Strategic Implication for the Development of Organic Coffee Bean

The performance of Indonesian coffee bean export from 1995 to 2004was not satisfactory. This implied that there were problems of the competitiveness of Indonesian coffee bean export. This study was expected to come up withsome views related with the problem. This study was aimed to analyze the competitiveness of Indonesian coffee bean export in international markets. Somepolicy implication would be derived following the conclusions. In addition,this study was aimed to deliver some arguments referring to organic coffee development as an alternative export development. Data used in this study wastime series data ranging from 1995 to 2004 supported with some primary data.The export data were analyzed descriptively and the Revealed ComparativeAdvantage (RCA) Index employed to analyze the competitiveness of Indonesian coffee bean export. The results of the analysis gave some conclusions, asfollows : (1) The export of Indonesian coffee bean was product oriented notmarket oriented. (2) The Indonesian coffee bean export was characterized withlow quality with no premium price, different from that of Vietnam coffee export. (3) Besides quality, the uncompetitive Indonesian coffee export was related to market hegemony by buyers, emerging issue of Ochratoxin A. contamination and high cost economy in export. (4) The competitiveness of Indonesian coffee export was lower than those other countries, such as Columbia,Honduras, Peru, Brazil, and Vietnam. (5) Indonesia still held opportunity todevelop organic coffee for export. Some policy implications emerged from thediscussion were as follows : (1) The Government should facilitate market development through the provisions of market information and export incentives.(2) The Government should develop and applied national standard of coffeebean referring to that of international, as well as, improve processing technology equipments in the farm level for both wet and dry process. (3) Besides improving quality, the improvement of competitiveness should also be carriedout by reducing up to elimination of operational costs before and in exportingports through the provisions of fiscal and monetary incentives (taxes and interest rates). (4) The development of coffee organic started with socializationof some aspects related to standard and implementation of farming, processing and trade. The Government should facilitate producers and exporters oforganic coffee with the provisions of market information and incentives.Key words: Export, coffee beans, competitiveness, organic coffee.

Organic Coffee: Sustainable Development by Maya Farmers (review)

Organic Coffee: Sustainable Development by Maya Farmers. By Martinez-Torres Maria Elena . Athens, OH: Ohio University Press, 2006. Pp. xiv, 176. Illustrations. Maps. Tables. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $22.00 paper. - Volume 64 Issue 1

Dynamics of size–density fractions of soil organic matter following the addition of tree litter to organic coffee farms

The addition of organic matter to soil is frequently viewed as a vital intervention to maintain soil quality. The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal response of the soil macroorganic fraction to different organic coffee farming practices (e.g., plant residue, earthworm and microbial inocula addition). Three density fractions of macroorganic matter (> 150 μm) were studied during 1 year after adding shade tree ( Erythrina poeppigiana) pruning residues to the soil (5 t ha − 1 twice at 6 monthly intervals). Soil macroorganic matter represented only a small proportion of total soil organic matter (SOM) (3–6% of total). Even though the total amount of SOM did not change over time, significant temporal changes in the size of the macroorganic fraction were observed that appeared to be largely independent of the management regime. The light density fraction seemed to be the most responsive fraction and this study suggests that it may provide a qualitative indicator of the ‘active’ fraction of SOM; the size of the macroorganic fraction did not provide a reliable indicator of the rate of litter decomposition or nutrient release. The addition of microbial inoculants and earthworms had only a small and inconsistent effect on macroorganic matter dynamics and these practices appeared to offer little agronomic benefit. This study highlights the need for continued organic matter inputs to maintain soil C reserves and preserve soil organic quality in tropical organic farming systems.

Profile and levels of bioactive amines in instant coffee

The levels of ten free bioactive amines, as well as pH and color characteristics, were determined in different types and brands of instant coffee. The amines were extracted with trichloroacetic acid and quantified by ion-pair HPLC, post-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde and fluorimetric detection. Overall, nine amines were detected: serotonin, cadaverine, tyramine, spermidine, putrescine, histamine, agmatine, phenyletylamine and spermine. Tryptamine was not detected in any sample. Tyramine was present in every sample, followed by cadaverine and serotonin. Total amine levels in the dry instant coffee varied from 0.28 to 2.76 mg/100 g. Overall, serotonin was present at higher levels followed by cadaverine, tyramine and spermidine. Significantly higher tyramine levels were found in decaffeinated coffee and higher cadaverine levels were detected in decaffeinated and organic coffee. The levels of amines varied among lots of the same brand and among brands. The color characteristics varied among types of instant coffee. The pH of the beverage varied from 4.86 to 5.15, with higher levels in decaffeinated coffee. There was significant positive correlation between pH and the levels of tyramine and agmatine. Investigations are needed to ascertain the impact of these amines on coffee flavor and on human health, and to determine the factors which affect amine formation and accumulation in instant coffee.

Composition of coffee shade tree species and density of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spores in Bonga natural coffee forest, southwestern Ethiopia

The composition of coffee shade tree species and density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spores in Bonga natural coffee forest of southwestern Ethiopia were investigated. This study is the first report on AMF populations of Ethiopian natural coffee forests. The main purposes were to systematically identify the dominant coffee shade tree species, evaluate their densities and quantify and characterize populations of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi particularly in the rhizosphere of coffee plants. Sample plots of 400 m 2 with coffee plants and dominant shade tree species were selected. Sampling of soil was carried out at a depth of 0–15 cm from the rooting areas of shaded and unshaded coffee plants for analysis of some soil parameters and quantification of AMF spores. Nineteen dominant shade tree species belonging to 14 plant families were identified in considered 10 quadrates. In terms of their stand dominance, Millettia ferruginea (Hochst.) Baker had the highest frequency of occurrence (22.3%) followed by O. welwitschii Friis & P.S. Green (15.5%). High density (503 stems/ha) and/or percentage (66%) of Coffea arabica L. were recorded. All soil samples yielded AMF spores and the counts ranged from 4 to 67 spores 100 g −1 of dry soil. Notably higher mean counts of AMF spores were found under leguminous shade trees compared to non-leguminous ones. AMF spore counts were significantly positively correlated with coffee counts and available soil P content. Five genera of AMF were identified based on spore morphology. Glomus dominated members of Glomeromycota. The other genera found were Gigaspora, Acaulospora, Entrophospora and Scutellospora in order of occurrence. The present investigation has documented species richness among dominant coffee shade tree species along with a fair distribution of relevant numbers and types (genera) of AMF to stimulate coffee growth. Thus, Bonga natural coffee forest seems to be an ideal focal forest for in situ coffee genetic resources conservation and promotion of organic coffee production.

Quality assessment of organic coffee beans for the preparation of a candidate reference material

A random sampling was carried out in the coffee beans collected for the preparation of the organic green coffee reference material in view of assessing the homogeneity and the presence of soil as impurity. Fifteen samples were taken for the between-sample homogeneity evaluation. One of the samples was selected and 10 test portions withdrawn for the within-sample homogeneity evaluation. Br, Ca, Co, Cs, Fe, K, Na, Rb, Sc and Zn were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The F-test demonstrated that the material is homogeneous for Ca, Co, Cs, K and Sc, but not homogeneous for Br, Fe, Na, Rb and Zn. Results of terrigenous elements suggested negligible soil contamination in the raw material.

Suitability of leguminous cover crop pollens as food source for the green lacewing Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).

Diversification of crops with species that provide suitable pollen for predators may reduce pest population on crops by enhancing predator effectiveness. In this paper we evaluated the suitability of leguminous cover crop pollens to the predatory green lacewing Chrysoperla externa (Hagen). The predator is commonly found in coffee agroecosystems and the plant species tested were pigeon pea and sunn hemp, which are used in organic coffee systems. Newly emerged females and males of C. externa were reared on diets containing pollen of pigeon pea, sunn hemp, or castor bean, used as a control. The reproductive success of C. externa was evaluated when females fed the pollen species and when honey was added to the diets, to verify the predator need for an extra carbohydrate source. Similar intrinsic growth rates were found for females fed on pigeon pea pollen and on sunn hemp pollen but these rates increased significantly when honey was added to the diets. Females fed with pigeon pea pollen plus honey and with sunn hemp pollen plus honey had higher intrinsic growth rates than those fed with castor bean pollen plus honey. Females fed on castor bean pollen only or on honey only, did not oviposit. Leguminous pollen species were equally suitable for C. externa especially when they were complemented with honey. The results suggest that to successfully enhance predator effectiveness, organic coffee plantation should be diversified with plant providing pollen in combination with plant providing nectar.

A Keystone Mutualism Drives Pattern in a Power Function

Data that can be described by a power function are ubiquitous in nature. Although there is consensus that such data frequently emerge generally from nonlinear complex systems, a variety of specific mechanisms may be responsible for creating the pattern in particular cases. Here, we report on the distribution of a scale insect (Coccus viridis) that is a common agricultural pest. Its distribution in an organic coffee farm in southern Mexico generally follows a power function, but there are subtle deviations from that function. We offer a biological explanation for both adherence to the power functions and associated deviations, along with supporting evidence.

Civic and Commercial Values in Organic Coffee in Costa Rica

Civic and Commercial Values in Organic Coffee in Costa Rica

Diagnóstico nutricional em cafeeiro conilon orgânico e convencional no Espírito Santo, utilizando o DRIS

O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar o diagnóstico nutricional em cafeeiros conilon cultivados de forma orgânica e convencional na região Norte do Espírito Santo e comparar diferentes índices limiares de diagnóstico para considerar o nutriente como sendo limitante ou excessivo, empregando os teores foliares e produtividade de 40 lavouras sob o cultivo convencional e 56 lavouras sob o cultivo orgânico. Para os cálculos dos índices, utilizou o método DRIS com incorporação da matéria seca. Quatro índices limiares de diagnóstico foram utilizados para considerar o nutriente como sendo limitante. Os nutrientes que ocorreram mais vezes, nas lavouras orgânicas, como sendo deficientes foram Mn, P, Fe e Cu. Nas lavouras convencionais o Mn, N e P foram os nutrientes considerados mais limitantes. Índice de menor valor absoluto afere mais nutrientes como sendo limitante. O primeiro nutriente mais limitante não tem sua posição alterada ao utilizar diferentes índices limiares.

Just-in-space: Certified rural products, labor of quality, and regulatory spaces

Since the mid-1990s, the number and diversity of ‘quality-certified’ products has increased dramatically. This article examines labor practices and regulatory spaces within 3rd party quality certification and suggests that this distinct configuration be termed ‘just-in-space’ production. A privileging of space derives, on the one hand, from the character of qualities certified. ‘Extrinsic’ qualities, such as biodiversity conservation or fair-trade labor practices, may only be introduced into the commodity through monitoring of labor at the point of production and along the commodity chain to retailer venues. This monitoring, accomplished via inspections and document production on a track that parallels the commodity movement, occurs within a semi-public space and results in an uneasy tension between a social interest in open inspections of ecological and socially-just production and retailer interest in controlling certification information about ‘green’ products. At the same time, transnational institutional regulation of certification (e.g., ISO), together with popular support for quality certification, limits the power of retailers and activists to alter certification practices and sustains the semi-public character of this space. Using a literature review and research on certified organic coffee, this paper examines practical and theoretical implications of just-in-space production, and concludes that while this configuration facilitates public action in support of social-justice and environmental conservation, it is also susceptible to manipulation by large retail firms that chose to evade 3rd party certification by setting up private certifications.

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE AGRONOMIC AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY OF ORGANIC COFFEE PRODUCTION

Organic coffee is one of several types of speciality coffees selling at a premium over mainstream coffees because of distinct origin and flavour, environment-friendly production or socio-economic concerns for the smallholder coffee growers. The demand for organic coffee in Western Europe, North America and Japan exceeds the present supply, which is still small (<1% of annual world production). More than 85% of organic coffees come from Latin America and practically all is (washed) arabica coffee. The production of certified organic coffee follows the principles of organic farming developed in Europe and the United States out of concern for the perceived negative effects of conventional high-input agriculture on health and environment. It claims superior ecological sustainability in combination with sound economic viability. A rather complex and expensive system of certification has to be passed before such coffees can be sold as truly organic. Growers adhering to the strict rules of organic coffee production may to some extent share the concern of the health- and environment-conscious consumers, but they are motivated primarily by the economic benefits from the premium received for certified organic coffee. Nevertheless, there appears to be considerable injustice between the extreme preconditions demanded for ‘organics’ by the largely urban consumer of the industrialized world and the modest rewards received by the organic coffee growers for their strenuous efforts. From an agronomic point of view, there is also considerable ground for criticism on the principles of organic farming when applied to coffee. For instance, to sustain economically viable yield levels (1 t green coffee ha−1 year−1) large additional amounts of composted organic matter will have to come from external sources to meet nutrient requirements (especially N and K). Most smallholders will be unable to acquire such quantities and have to face declining yields. Organic farming does not necessarily reduce incidence of diseases and pests below economically harmful thresholds, while the humid conditions of heavily shaded coffee may actually stimulate the outbreak of others. These and other aspects peculiar to the preconditions of organic coffee production are addressed in this review. It is concluded that the concept of organic farming in its strict sense, when applied to coffee, is not sustainable and also not serving the interests of the producer and consumer as much as the proponents would like us to believe. On the other hand, agronomically and economically sustainable coffee production is feasible by applying best practices of crop production and post-harvest processing.

Sustainable Development: Empowering Indigenous Peoples

Deforestation, erosion, and loss of biodiversity all directly affect Central American indigenous peoples’ sustenance, health, and way of life. The new Integrated Ecosystem Management in Indigenous Communities Regional Program (IEM) aims to alleviate these problems and the extreme poverty of many indigenous groups by helping communities manage their lands sustainably. The IEM will help communities establish and manage conservation areas and finance income-generating projects like sustainable tourism, sustainable forestry, and production of handicrafts, organic coffee and cocoa, and other traditional products. The program emphasizes traditional land management practices to combat declining bio-diversity, soil, and water quality. “One objective is to strengthen local groups to prepare strategies to help with these problems,” says Alberto Chinchilla, regional facilitator for the Central America Indigenous and Peasant Coordination Association for Community Agroforestry. This group, along with the Central American Indigenous Council and Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD), will implement the program. The IEM will support small projects in some 550 communities in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, where nearly 7 million indigenous people account for about a quarter of the population. The Global Environment Facility granted the program $9 million through the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank, cofinanced through other projects from both banks. Indigenous groups and CCAD will contribute another $2.5 million. Indigenous groups’ environmental problems stem from their tenuous rights to the land they occupy, advocates say. Not all of the region’s nations enforce or even legally recognize indigenous land rights. Nor do governments or the World Bank require indigenous groups’ consent before approving projects that affect their lands or require their forced relocation, say advocates. Poverty and encroachment onto their lands by ranchers, farmers and loggers wielding environmentally devastating practices has led many indigenous groups to forsake traditional land use practices for often unsustainable hunting, agriculture, and timber harvest methods. In agriculture, for instance, practices such as letting plots lay fallow for years at a time, intensive hand weeding, and cultivating a diversity of crops, often in the shade of fruit- or lumber-producing trees have in certain places given way to shorter crop rotation cycles, increased chemical use, and crop monocultures. The new practices may offer bountiful harvests in the short term, but they ultimately degrade the soil and are expensive to perpetuate. Struggling communities may also sell off timber or land for negligible sums to outsiders, who then clear the land for agricultural use, according to IEM documents. Indigenous groups’ political influence is growing. But they continue to suffer from worse poverty, more disease, greater discrimination, and less education than other sectors of society, the World Bank concluded in its May 2005 report Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development in Latin America: 1994–2004. Some indigenous activists question the IEM. “How will the [program] create sustainable development if the majority of the governments in the region don’t recognize the ability of indigenous communities to administer their lands, territories, and natural resources?” asks Hector Huertas, a lawyer from the Kuna tribe with the Centro de Asistencia Legal Popular, an indigenous advocacy group. He and others cast a wary eye on the World Bank and the IDB, whose projects, they say, typically leave a heavy environmental and cultural footprint. Many also believe the agencies charged with implementing the IEM may not truly represent indigenous peoples’ interests. Some even argue that drawing indigenous communities into the cash economy through development projects threatens their autonomy. Rudolph C. Ryser, chairman of the Center for World Indigenous Studies in Washington and a Cowlitz tribe member, says communities that provide for their own needs best exemplify sustainability. “People can say it’s unrealistic for indigenous communities to take care of themselves as autonomous economic units. They’d better realize it’s been going on for fourteen thousand years.”

Growth rate and nutritional status of an organic coffee cropping system

In view of the low N concentration in organic fertilizers, it is necessary to use high rates of such fertilizers to attend coffee crop requirements. Hence, N is the most limiting nutrient for organic coffee production. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) organic fertilization on the growth and nutritional status of coffee cultivars, as well as to quantify plant biomass and N input derived from biological nitrogen fixation, and their effect on soil chemical characteristics. The experiment consisted of six coffee (Coffea arabica) cultivars intercropped with and without sunn hemp sown in November 2001 and pruned at mid-height 76 days later. At 175 days, the standing biomass of the legume was cut, measuring dry mass, total N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and 15N natural abundance, resulting 16 t ha-1 of dry mass and the recycling of 444, 21, 241, 191, and 44 kg ha-1 of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, respectively. Cultivars 'Obatã' and 'Catuaí Vermelho' presented the highest growth rates in terms of plant height, while cultivars 'Icatu' and 'Oeiras' presented the lowest rates. Biological nitrogen fixation associated to the legume introduced more than 200 kg ha-1 of N, which is a demonstration that N fertilization in organic cropping systems is a valuable alternative. Intercropping lead to a constant coffee leaf N content during the entire cropping cycle, contrary to what was observed in plots grown without sunn hemp.

Characterization of slow-growing root nodule bacteria from Inga oerstediana in organic coffee agroecosystems in Chiapas, Mexico

The leguminous tree genus Inga is thought to be critical for providing N to certified organic coffee shrubs that commonly grow beneath its shade in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. Organic certification prohibits use of synthetic N fertilizers, necessitating understanding of the Inga–rhizobia symbiosis. The objectives of this study were to: (1) establish a collection of isolates from Inga sp. nodules found on organic coffee farms in Chiapas, Mexico; (2) use phenotypic and genotypic approaches to characterize these isolates, and (3) examine cross-inoculation patterns of strains isolated from Inga sp. with other Inga species and N 2-fixing trees. Eighty-three strains were isolated from root nodules of Inga oerstediana, Inga pavoniana and an unknown species of Inga. Aside from isolates of I. pavoniana, Inga isolates demonstrate characteristics consistent with Bradyrhizobium. Dendrograms generated using phylogenetic and phenotypic traits showed strains to exhibit significant diversity, even among strains originating from the same farm. Strains isolated from I. pavoniana were 95% similar, and displayed strikingly different characteristics from strains isolated from other species. Cross-inoculation experiments used three Inga strains (cowpea miscellany CB756, and isolates from I. oerstediana and I. sp.) as inoculants with I. edulis, I. fuellii, Acacia mangium, Acacia koa, Vigna unguculata and Gliricidia sepium. All three strains formed nodules containing leghaemoglobin with V. unguculata, while isolates from I. oerstediana, Inga sp. and cowpea miscellany formed nodules with I. feulli and I. edulis, but not with A. mangium and G. sepium. A. koa formed nodules containing leghaemoglobin when inoculated by cowpea miscellany strain CB756 and the strain from Inga sp., but nodules formed with the strain isolated from I. oerstediana did not contain leghaemoglobin. One and two-way ANOVA results showed that no mean biomass of inoculated seedlings was significantly greater than the −N control for each of A. koa, G. sepium, A. mangium ( p < 0.001), supporting our hypothesis that inoculation with non- Inga strains would have no effect on biomass production. We suggest that great spatial variation exists among Inga isolates from organic coffee farms in the Chiapas highland region, both between and within farms, and that more research is needed to identify reasons for the genetic distribution and function of Inga symbionts.

Do fair trade and eco-labels in coffee wake up the consumer conscience?

In this study, a face-to-face survey was conducted in order to reveal consumer preferences for ethical and environmentally sound labeling programs in coffee. Valuation questions regarding the fair trade, shade grown, and organic coffee labels were asked using a payment card format, after consumers were previously informed about each of the labeling programs. Results suggest that consumers are very receptive toward both fair trade and shade grown coffee labels, and consequently are willing to pay higher premiums for these labeling programs than for the organic coffee.

Coordinating B2B cross‐border supply chains: the case of the organic coffee industry

The recent interest in and increasing demand for healthy, social and environmentally sustainable products, particularly in developed countries, have fostered the presence of organic coffee supermarket shelves of such countries. Proposes two models of B2B relationships for the Brazilian supply of organic coffee to international markets, more specifically, The Netherlands. For this proposition, compares two possible organizations of the supply chain wherein B2B relationships are based not only on contracts but more importantly on the informal safeguards of mutual trust, long‐term orientation and joint actions. For the two proposed chains, a cross‐border integrator is included to support the coordination of the business relationship. Emphasis is placed on coordination to increase overall efficiency of the supply chain through reduction of internal and transaction costs.

Farmers’ Perceptions, Knowledge, and Management of Coffee Pests and Diseases and Their Natural Enemies in Chiapas, Mexico

Small farmers' perceptions of coffee Coffea arabica L. herbivores and their natural enemies, how those perceptions relate to field infestation levels, and pest management practices being implemented by members from two organic and nonorganic coffee grower organizations in the Soconusco region, southeastern Mexico, were analyzed through an interview survey, diagnostic workshops, and field sampling. The terms pest, disease, and damage were commonly used as synonyms. The major phytophagous species, as perceived by the interviewees, were Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), and to a lesser extent the fungi Corticium koleroga Cooke (Höhnel) and Hemileia vastatrix Berkeley & Broome. Among the nonorganic farmers, other nonpest-related constraints were regarded as more important. Awareness of the existence of natural enemies was low, despite more organic farmers have used the ectoparasitoid bethylid Cephalonomia stephanoderis Betrem against H. hampei. Labor supplied by household members was most frequent for pest control; only organic farmers exchanged labor for this purpose. The levels of infestation by H. hampei, Leucoptera coffeella Guérin-Méneville, and C. koleroga were lower within the organic coffee stands. However, a low effectiveness for pest control was commonly perceived, probably due to a feeling, among the organic farmers, of a low impact of their pest management extension service, whereas a lack of motivation was prevalent among the nonorganic farmers, shown by a concern with their low coffee yields and the emigration of youth. The importance of understanding farmers' perceptions and knowledge of pests and their natural enemies and the need for participatory pest management approaches, are discussed.

Gorillas in the Coffee Shop

Gorillas in the Coffee Shop

Gorillas in the coffee shop

Gorillas in the coffee shop