How Big Is the ‘Green’ Movement in Coffee?

The ‘green’ movement is everywhere these days. From cars to the groceries you purchase down at the local market, everybody wants to get in on it. In some cases, going green is embraced out of genuine concern for the environment. Other times, companies claim to be green in order to market themselves better. We were curious as to how big the green movement is in the coffee industry; we were surprised by the results of our research.

Going green is as much about semantics as it is practice. In the coffee industry, whether or not we are embracing the green movement depends a lot on your definition. In a broad sense, there are those who consider everything from fair trade to sustainable farming practices as part of the green movement. There are others who limit the green movement to those things that directly affect the environment.

Truly Green Initiatives

We have divided current practices within the coffee industry into two categories: truly green initiatives and non-green initiatives. At the top of the truly green list is an emphasis on organic farming practices that eschew the use of pesticides and genetically modified materials. Organic farming seeks to produce a robust crop while doing little to no environmental damage. It is catching on across the globe.

Side-by-side with organic farming are sustainable practices that seek to conserve water and other natural resources in the growing process, while using sustainable energy sources for processing. Again, sustainability is catching on around the globe. Yet despite these efforts, there is one inherent problem: going green on the farm makes coffee too expensive to compete in the marketplace. Organic farming also requires more water in most cases, mitigating any water conservation efforts organic farmers engage in.

Non-Green Initiatives

There is a long list of initiatives that are presented under the green label without actually affecting the environment. The fair trade concept is a great example. The idea behind fair trade is to pay farmers a higher price for their crop, through either government subsidies or higher retail prices, in order to encourage them to practice organic and sustainable farming. Proponents of the green movement claim fair trade does help the environment and, perhaps it does indirectly. However, in light of how much fair trade coffee is sold on the open market, it is having little to no impact.

There are certain aspects of the green movement that are in play for the coffee industry. There are other aspects that are completely irrelevant. At this point, it is up to each player to determine how much green involvement is appropriate for his or her current business model.

In light of this, Galaxie Coffee will continue to do our best to provide the greater New York area with premium coffee, water, and beverage service. We invite you to take a look at our complete inventory of products. We combine an extensive list of product choices with excellent service upon which you can depend.