I've been asked that question a lot lately. As a Nutrition Consultant, my foremost concern for the products we sell is the effect it has on your body. I've spent a lot of time educating myself on our world's nutrition successes and failures. I practice and believe that knowing where your food comes from, knowing the people who grow it, will always be more advantageous than a label that the FDA charges ridiculous sums of money to earn.
If you can't source your food directly, then yes, trusting that little green label on your packaging is, in my opinion, the next best thing.
Beyond an organic sticker, is the importance of knowing how your coffee and tea are stored and processed. They are among some of the most tainted products in the world, along with spices, for accumulating mold and bacteria. The reason is because they often sit for long periods of time in less than ideal climate situations. Things grow. If the beans and leaves are organic, they'll grow even more readily.
When you buy and roast in small batches, like we do, this problem is reduced, if not eliminated all together.
Our teas are all certified organic and are sourced carefully from a singular source we trust, who know a lot more about tea than we do. The teas are produced and sent to us in small batches where we store them in a temperature controlled environment. The producer has each batch tested for toxins and impurities.
Most of our coffees are sourced directly from family owned farms we have visited. All of the farms we source coffee from use bio-dynamic farming practices. Bio-dynamic practices are the same throughout the coffee industry and utilize many of the same principles that U.S. farming follows for organic certification. Our coffee farmers use beneficial plants, insects and non-chemical substances to control pests. Many coffees, don't even require pest control, simply due to the altitude. Farmers who have been on their land for generations understand the premise of natural soil regeneration and crop rotation in order to continue nourishing their families.
The beans are harvested by hand, and then produced using a washed, honey or unwashed process. All of our beans are small batch roasted to produce a consistent and delicious cup of coffee.
So many people have come to believe that coffee is acidic. They accept the sour stomach and frequent restroom trips. While coffee is a natural diuretic, you shouldn't be planning your day around your coffee consumption. Some of us are more sensitive than others, so caffeine intake should definitely be adjusted to what your body tells you. But a good quality coffee should not cause discomfort for most people.
In summary, when it comes to our teas and coffees, I believe you should be able to taste the difference immediately, and over time you should be able to feel the difference as well!
Cheers!