Drinking Organic Tea & Coffee: Why Does it Matter?

Posted by Jonathan Blakeslee on 18th Nov 2015

Organic tea and coffee offers a tasty cup of your favorite brew without harmful chemicals. If you knew that the average (non-organic) cup of tea or coffee was harmful to farmers, the environment and yourself, would you still drink it?

Most non-organic tea has been sprayed with agricultural chemicals. It is not common practice to wash chemicals off tea leaves before they are sold as a finished product. Thus, when drinking non-organic tea, it is likely that there are unfriendly chemicals in your cup. Sad, but true. Coffee beans at least are stripped of the fruit surrounding the bean if they have been sprayed. This doesn't mean that the bean hasn't absorbed some of the harmful pesticides.

So why Organic? Drink tea and coffee, not chemicals! USDA National Organic Program requirements monitor the growing and handling practices of farms, exporters, blenders, roasters, packagers and more. Every time you spend a dollar on Organic tea or coffee, you are voting for a healthier, safer industry and a greener planet!

White Heron became NH's first Organic certified tea company in 2006, and an Organic certified coffee roaster in 2011.

How can you tell if what you are buying is Organic? Check the packaging! In addition to the word Organic, there should be both:

  • a USDA approved Organic seal
  • “Certified by” name of USDA approved Organic certifying agency