Organic coffee beans

Organic coffee beans are grown, processed and packaged in accordance with European Regulation 2018/848 on organic production:

• No synthetic pesticides: only treatments authorised by the regulation, such as copper or sulphur, in limited quantities;
• No synthetic fertilisers: fertilisation with compost and organic matter;
• An annual inspection by an approved certification body;
• Traceability from the plantation through to roasting.

The EU organic logo must appear on the packaging of prepacked organic products produced in the European Union; the French AB logo is optional.

Several reasons contribute:

• Often lower yields, without synthetic fertilisers or pesticides;
• Certification: annual inspections, documentation, traceability;
• Conversion: a plantation can only sell its produce as organic after a conversion period, which is three years for a perennial crop such as coffee;
• Smaller volumes: organic coffee remains a small share of global coffee production.

Voix de la Terre, whose full name is Voix de la Terre Biologique Espresso Équilibré, is the certified organic blend in the Lavazza Expert range: Arabica and Robusta coffees from Africa and Central and South America, with a medium roast and notes of honey, chocolate and dried fruit.

Lavazza sells its ¡Tierra! organic coffee range in France under the name Voix de la Terre; another coffee in this range, Voix de la Terre For Planet, is 100% Arabica. The ¡Tierra! project was launched by Lavazza in 2002, and the Fondazione Lavazza, established in 2004, runs sustainable development projects with coffee producers.

Both coffees are available in all three sizes:

• 1 kg bag: Kimbo Bio (20,40 €) or Voix de la Terre (27,40 €), approximately 140 espressos using 7 g each.
• Pack of 3 bags: Kimbo Bio (59,38 €, −3% compared with three bags) or Voix de la Terre (79,73 €, −3%), approximately 430 espressos.
• Pack of 6 bags: Kimbo Bio (116,28 €, −5% compared with six bags) or Voix de la Terre (154,52 €, −6%), approximately 860 espressos.

If you do not drink much coffee, choose several 1 kg bags: an open bag keeps better if you finish it within a few weeks.

Not directly. Organic certification guarantees a production method, not a taste. The flavour in the cup depends mainly on:

• the coffee species and varieties (Arabica, Robusta);
• origin and terroir;
• post-harvest processing (washed, natural…);
• roasting and the freshness of the coffee.

Both are certified organic, but they have different profiles:

• Kimbo Bio — from the Neapolitan coffee house Kimbo, with a medium-light roast and notes of fresh flowers and almond; also Fairtrade certified.
• Lavazza Voix de la Terre — Arabica and Robusta from Africa and Central and South America, with a medium roast and notes of honey, chocolate and dried fruit, according to Lavazza.

Kimbo Bio for a mild, floral espresso, Voix de la Terre for a more chocolatey cup. For other coffee beans, see Coffee beans, all brands.