Certified Organic: What you need to know

• Learn about USDA organic certification
• Learn what it takes to legally label coffee as organic
• Learn why many exceptional coffees are not certified organic 

One question we receive occasionally is: “Is your coffee certified organic?”  The answer is, “No.”  Many claim to sell organic coffee but few do so legally.
In the United States, this refers specifically to USDA organic certification. While many of the coffees we offer at Ketch Coffee Roasters are grown using organic farming practices, we are not a USDA certified organic roaster. This means we cannot legally market our coffees as “organic,” even if the coffee itself is grown without synthetic chemicals. If you’re curious whether a coffee roaster is USDA certified organic, you can easily search the official USDA Organic Integrity Database: https://organic.ams.usda.gov/integrity/.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SELL CERTIFIED ORGANIC COFFEE?

For a coffee roaster to legally label their coffee as certified organic, three key requirements must be met: 

• Certified Organic Supply Chain: 
Every step — from the farmer, to the milling station, to the exporter, to the importer — must have USDA organic certification and must handle the coffee in compliance with organic standards.

• Certified Organic Roaster: 
The roaster must obtain their own USDA organic certification.

• Dedicated Organic Equipment:
 The roasting, de-stoning, grinding, and packaging equipment must be used exclusively for organic coffee or must be cleaned thoroughly according to strict USDA-approved procedures.  In practice, this often means a roaster either works exclusively with organic coffee or invests in separate equipment for organic and non-organic coffees — a costly setup that most roasters cannot justify. This is why USDA certified organic coffee roasters are quite rare.


ORGANIC FARMING VS. ORGANIC CERTIFICATION

It’s important to understand that many coffee farmers use organic practices but may not have USDA certification. Why?

The certification process is expensive, especially for small farms and milling operations in coffee-growing countries. Many farmers simply cannot afford the annual certification fees, even though their growing methods align with organic principles.

While USDA organic certification can offer peace of mind for some buyers, it is not the only indicator of coffee quality. Many outstanding coffees come from farms that practice sustainable, chemical-free agriculture but are not certified due to financial or logistical barriers.

LOOKING FOR CERTIFIED ORGANIC COFFEE?

If purchasing USDA certified organic coffee is important to you, we encourage you to use this USDA database to find certified organic coffee roasters: https://organic.ams.usda.gov/integrity/.

At Ketch Coffee Roasters, we prioritize ethically sourced, high-quality coffees and believe in supporting farmers whether or not they hold organic certifications. We are always happy to answer your questions about how our coffees are grown and sourced.