Heads up, friends! Some of the links on this blog are affiliate links, meaning we might earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no cost to you. But don’t worry, we promise to only promote products that we truly believe in and think you’ll love too.
When you rely on coffee to get up and go about your day each morning (and let’s be honest, every afternoon too!), it’s worth thinking about the quality of the coffee you’re brewing. The best organic coffee offers a healthier alternative to conventionally grown coffee beans.
That’s because organic coffee is cultivated without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). By steering clear of these artificial additives, organic coffee preserves the natural flavors and aromas of coffee beans without a side of synthetic chemicals.
Organic coffees are from harmful chemical residues that can seep into our cups. By going organic, we can enjoy a pure and uncontaminated brew and reduce the risk of ingesting toxins often associated with non-organic beans.
In a time when sustainability and eco-conscious living are gaining momentum, organic coffee has emerged as a delicious and responsible choice for both our own well-being and the environment.
Understanding USDA Certified Organic Coffee
When exploring organic coffee options online or on the grocery shelves, you may come across the label “USDA organic.” This certification shows that the coffee you’re considering aligns with the organic standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
For a coffee to be USDA certified organic, it must originate from farms that implement sustainable practices, such as natural pest management, composting, and crop rotation without the use of synthetic pesticides. And yes, organic farmers can and often do still use pesticides — it’s important to note that organic doesn’t necessarily mean pesticide-free.
Instead, the pesticides used in organic farming must be on the approved list provided by the organic certification bodies, such as the USDA National Organic Program in the United States. They must be derived from natural sources rather than synthetic ones and have low toxicity to humans and the environment.
Organic practices are designed to work more in harmony with nature. They support biodiversity and minimize the negative impact on ecosystems that farming with synthetic pesticides often has. Organic farming practices also prioritize better soil health, employing natural fertilizers and compost to nourish coffee plants.
Finally, the USDA certification helps ensure that coffee farmers are paid fair wages and are provided safe working conditions.
What is Fair Trade Coffee?
Along with the USDA certified organic label, you might also look for “Fair Trade certified” on your organic coffee. When a coffee producer or cooperative is Fair Trade certified, it ensures that coffee bean farmers receive fair compensation for their labor and have access to better working conditions.
Here are some key aspects of what Fair Trade certification means for coffee growers:
- Fair prices: Fair Trade guarantees a minimum price for coffee, known as the Fair Trade Minimum Price. This floor price acts as a safety net, protecting farmers from market fluctuations and ensuring they receive a decent income for their crops.
- Fair Trade Premium: In addition to the minimum price, Fair Trade certification allows farmers to earn a Fair Trade Premium, an additional sum of money paid on top of the selling price. This premium is invested in community development projects, such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and agricultural improvements. Farmers themselves decide how to invest the money.
- Farmer empowerment: Fair Trade promotes collective decision-making among coffee farmers. It encourages the formation of cooperatives or producer groups. This enables farmers to negotiate directly with buyers, have a stronger voice, and gain more control over their livelihoods.
- Labor and environmental standards: This certification also requires coffee farms to adhere to specific labor and environmental standards. This includes prohibiting child labor, ensuring safe working conditions, promoting sustainable farming practices, and reducing the use of harmful agrochemicals.
- Transparency and traceability: Finally, Fair Trade certification promotes transparency throughout the supply chain. It aims to establish traceability, from the farmer to the consumer, so consumers can make informed choices.
11 Best Organic Coffee Brands for a Delicious Cup of Coffee
Now that you know what to look for when picking a coffee, let’s dive into our picks for the best organic coffee. All of the organic coffee brands on our list are USDA certified organic, and many of them are also Fair Trade certified or offer sustainable practices that pay farmers fairly for their work.
1. Equal Exchange Organic Ground Coffee – Best Overall
- Fair Trade
- USDA Organic
- Ground and whole bean
Equal Exchange’s organic ground coffee is a testament to their meticulous craftsmanship. Grown sustainably and roasted with expertise, their coffees offer a diverse range of flavors.
From the earthy richness of their French roasts to the vibrant notes found in their breakfast blend, you should be able to find a delicious cup of coffee to your liking that’s both organic and Fair Trade.
This is one of the best organic coffee brands in my opinion, as it tastes great, is easy to find on grocery story shelves, and comes from a company that’s dedicated to sustainability and quality.
2. VitaCup Perfect Coffee – Best Low Acid Coffee
- Fair Trade
- USDA Organic
- Ground and whole bean
VitaCup’s coffee is low in acid, so if you are more sensitive to the acidity of many coffee brands, you can drink it without worrying about it being too rough on your stomach. Their organic dark roast beans are ground and sealed up so you don’t have to grind them yourselves. They’re also tested to make sure they’re free of mycotoxins so you can be sure your coffee is mold-free (yes, please).
VitaCup’s beans come from one source in Guatemala and are grown at high altitudes for a nuanced flavor profile. You can use these ground beans in drip coffee brewers, as well as French presses, electric coffee pots, cold brew makers, and reusable K-cups.
3. Tiny Footprint Coffee – Best for the Environment
- Fair Trade
- USDA Organic
- Carbon Negative
- Ground, whole bean, and cold press
Environmentalists will appreciate that Tiny Footprint offsets their carbon footprint by investing in reforestation and planting trees in Ecuador. If you brew Tiny Footprint coffee, you’ll be drinking a carbon negative coffee whose production benefits the environment rather than taxing it. I love this about this company, and best of all, their coffee is really tasty, too!
As for its flavor profile, Tiny Footprint’s coffee is bold and dark, with notes of chocolate and fruits like apricots and figs. It’s roasted in small batches from organic coffee beans grown in Nicaragua.
4. Death Wish Coffee – Best for a Strong Cup of Coffee
- Fair Trade
- USDA Organic
- Ground and whole bean
If you like your coffee strong, Death Wish’s certified organic coffee may be your new go-to brand. They make a popular medium roast coffee blend made from beans grown in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains of Columbia that has hints of blueberry and vanilla. Death Wish also makes a dark roast as well as a dark blend with an extra kick of caffeine.
They’re pretty confident about how tasty their product is too, offering a full refund on your order if you find it isn’t to your liking.
5. AmazonFresh Organic Fair Trade Coffee – Best Price
- Fair Trade
- USDA Organic
- Ground and whole bean
It may seem strange that AmazonFresh would make it on a list of the best organic coffee brands, but hear me out. Their Peruvian ground coffee beans are both Fair Trade certified and USDA organic. They offer medium and dark roast options, plus a convenient Keurig friendly K-cup medium roast.
AmazonFresh’s coffee also costs less than a lot of the other fancy organic brands on this list, so it’s wallet friendly as well as being quite tasty, with tart and sweet fruity notes detectable in its medium roast blend.
One common complaint about AmazonFresh’s organic coffee is that the packaging is delicate and tends to tear open and spill some of its contents, so you may want to open it inside a bowl to catch any spillage. Taste-wise, though, this coffee makes a solid cup of joe for daily brewing.
6. Three Sisters Kicking Horse Coffee – Best Finely Ground Blend
- Fair Trade
- USDA Organic
- Ground and whole bean
This organic ground coffee from Three Sisters is finely ground, so it works best in a coffee maker that does well with finely ground beans, such as an Aeropress. This blend of medium and dark roasts makes a full bodied, great tasting cup of coffee with notes of sweet tobacco and cocoa. It’s smooth and easy on sensitive stomachs.
Three Sisters beans come from sustainable farmers in Indonesia, Central and South America, which are then roasted in small batches in Canada.
7. Gobena Peruvian Fair Trade Coffee – Best for Multiple Roast Options
- Fair Trade
- USDA Organic
- Ground and whole bean
This certified organic and ethically sourced medium roast made from Peruvian coffee beans is full-bodied with some light fruity notes and a chocolatey finish. It gets roasted, ground, and packaged in the same day to optimize its freshness. Gobena offers light, medium, and dark roasts that can be delivered to your home, as well as a decaf option.
On top of a getting a delicious cup of coffee from this company, your money also makes a difference. Gobena donates 100% of its profits to help orphaned and vulnerable children in developing countries.
8. No Fun Jo Decaf Coffee – Best Decaf Organic Coffee
- Fair Trade
- USDA Organic
- Ground and whole bean
No Fun Jo makes some of the best organic decaf coffee beans. You can buy them on Amazon or sign up for a subscription service on their site. Before roasting their beans, they use the Swiss Water Process to gently remove caffeine without the use of any chemicals from their coffee until it is 99.9% caffeine free. No Fun Jo’s delicious decaf has subtle hints of blueberry and milk chocolate.
No Fun Jo’s coffee also makes a great and flavorful cold brew. Their coffee is USDA certified organic, Fair Trade, and Kosher Certified. They also offer a full refund if you don’t like their coffee within two weeks of purchasing it.
9. Lavazza – Best Italian Roast (+ Espresso Options)
- USDA Organic
- Whole bean and ground
Lavazza imports its organic coffee beans from farms around the world in a variety of different flavor profiles and then roasts them in Italy. They also make a delicious and popular organic espresso. It’s usually easy to find Lavazza on grocery store shelves.
Although Lavazza is USDA certified organic, it is notably not Fair Trade. However, they are involved in a number of social and environmental sustainability initiatives which you can read more about on their site.
10. Peace Coffee – Best Organic Coffee Subscription Service
- USDA Organic
- Fair Trade
- Ground and whole bean
If you’re looking for an easy home delivery coffee subscription, Peace Coffee makes a delicious variety of different coffee blends. This coffee comes from beans made in a variety of countries, including Columbia and Peru, and is well suited for use in a drip coffee maker or a pour-over such as a Chemex. Their Columbian single origin medium roast has hints of milk chocolate, vanilla, and brown sugar, and with a splash of milk, is my personal favorite from Peace Coffee. You can also get their whole bean coffee if you prefer to embrace your inner barista and grind the beans yourself.
11. San Francisco Bay Rainforest Blend – Best Organic Coffee Pods
- USDA Organic
- Pods, ground, and whole bean
San Francisco Bay sells an organic “Rainforest Blend” coffee that is a smooth, full-bodied medium-dark roast. You can conveniently also get their organic rainforest blend in the form of compostable coffee pods that work in a Keurig.
While they aren’t Fair Trade Certified, San Francisco Bay Coffee states the following about their relationships with farmers:
“While we don’t purchase officially certified Fair Trade Certified coffee, San Francisco Bay Coffee proudly states that all of our coffee is Fairly Traded. We pay farmers much more than the minimum $1.31 per pound. In fact, we pay them an even fairer price that helps to keep their farms in business. Our unique and innovative Community Aid program truly breaks the cycle of poverty in our partner communities. In addition to trading fairly and directly, we also spend upwards of $1 million a year through our non-profit called the Community Aid Program to build schools, health clinics, housing for workers and much more in coffee towns around the world.”
Going Organic with Your Morning Coffee
Opting for organic coffee means you can enjoy a delicious cup of freshly brewed coffee without having to worry about uninvited toxins in your cup. You’ll also be supporting companies that use environmentally-friendly farming practices that support earth’s resources.
While you’re at it, I highly recommend using a plastic-free coffee maker to make your organic coffee in every day. It’s generally not a good idea to have hot coffee make contact with plastic (even BPA-free plastic), and these non-toxic coffee makers are better both for your health and for the planet.
Check out our favorite plastic-free non-toxic coffee makers here, including pour over coffee makers, French presses, and more.
