Finca Rosa Blanca Organic Shade Grown Coffee
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Certified organic coffee is grown by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality. Finca Rosa Blanca Organic Coffee is grown without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, thereby assuring the health of the soil, the forest and the farmers.
Organic coffee farming encourages sustainability, multilayered crop production and a rich array of wildlife. Farmers who practice organic coffee farming methods depend on organic matter to fertilize plants and by using these materials, mimic the natural processes of growth and decay.
Organic coffee farming encourages beneficial insects and a healthier, more resistant crop. Mulching with organic materials and growing coffee under a canopy of trees decreases the need for irrigation and conserves water. By growing citrus and fruit-bearing trees in the upper story (a process known as diversification), the canopy serves the dual purpose of providing organic mulch for the understory and food for the community. |
We grow our coffee under the shade of tall trees so that you can enjoy your morning cup of coffee on the terrace of El Tigre Vestido Restaurant and listen to the songbirds.
Conventional, "modern" coffee plantations are replacing wildlife habitat at an alarming rate, and the population of songbirds across North and South America is in significant decline. "Shade grown" coffee, the traditional method of coffee farming, offers a promising alternative.
- Taste. As the coffee beans mature more slowly in the shade, natural sugars increase and enhance the flavor of the coffee.
- Healthier. Next to tobacco, coffee is sprayed with more chemicals than any other product consumed by humans. Shade grown coffee is most often organically grown, free of chemical use.
- Promotes healthy environment. Shade grown coffee requires little or no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. The shade trees filter carbon dioxide which causes global warming, and aid in soil moisture retention which minimizes erosion.
- Provides bird habitat and greater biodiversity. Migrating bird populations have been in rapid decline since the introduction of "sun" coffee and the consequent destruction of rainforest for more coffee plantations. As many as 150 species of birds have been identified on shade coffee farms.
- Helps sustain rainforests. Coffee plantations which are chemically dependent suffer from soil depletion and increased erosion. Rainforest is stripped to provide fresh growing ground. Shade coffee farms are, for the most part, organic and sustainable.
- Reverses the trend to chemicals. Shade coffee farms traditionally use little or no chemical fertilizer. Our farms are 100% chemical free and organic.
Traditionally, all coffee was shade grown. Most varieties of coffee are naturally intolerant of direct sunlight, and prefer a canopy of sun-filtering shade trees. The trees not only protect the coffee from direct sun, they also mulch the soil with their fallen leaves which helps retain soil moisture. The nitrogen-fixing shade trees enhance the soil, and also provide habitat for birds. The birds in turn provide natural insect control with their constant foraging.
We are very proud of our organic and sustaianable certifications which include :
BCS ÖKO-GARANTIE GMBH is licensed as a private controlling agency since May 11th 1992 to implement the EU Regulation on organic production. Based on several accreditations and registrations, BCS is authorized to certify according to the following standards and regulations:
- EU Regulation on organic agriculture
- NOP (National Organic Program of the United States Department of Agriculture)
- JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standard of Organic Products)
We have been certified organic by BCS OKO for 7 years.
The Costa Rican Coffee Institute, ICAFE, is a non-governmental public entity that promotes the coffee industry in the areas of agronomy, promotion, research and the transfer of technology, and regulates the marketing of coffee. ICAFE along with the Costa Rican Department of Health has given us their seal of approval to produce and process organic coffee.
Rain Forest Alliance Certification for Sustainable Coffee is under the auspices of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), an international coalition of leading conservation groups, the Rainforest Alliance works with farmers to ensure compliance with the SAN standards for protecting wildlife, wild lands, workers’ rights and local communities. Farms that meet these rigorous standards are awarded the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal.
Red Costarricence de Reservas Naturales (The Costa Rican Network of Nature Reserves) is a prívate non-profit organization made up of tracts of land which are under conservation and protection.
Blue Ecological Flag is a certification for natural reserves: protection of the rivers and springs, protection of the soil, conservation of the flora and fauna, reforestation, recycling and control of consumption of water and electricity. |
