Coffee prices have skyrocketed for various reasons. Among them, the low production due to climate change, the logistical problems of the pandemic, generalized inflation and the war in Ukraine. The latter has considerably reduced access to inputs such as inorganic fertilizers, which has not only increased the costs of coffee production, but has also significantly reduced the profit margin of coffee farmers.
Russia is the world's biggest fertilizer exporter, but its war with Ukraine has disrupted shipments and pushed up prices for natural gas, a key ingredient in fertilizer manufacturing. Ammonium nitrate and urea, the two main sources of nitrogen fertilizer, are the most widely used fertilizers in the world. Fertilizer prices had already more than doubled in the last 18 months, affecting coffee growers around the world.
Recent studies indicate that organic coffee farms may support and depend on natural enemies for coffee diseases. While inorganic fertilizers may help reduce pests on conventional farms, it is suspected that they also reduce natural enemies and therefore these farms do not receive the benefits of such natural pest control. When organic coffee growers can capitalize on the benefits of “free” pest control, their production costs are reduced because they don't need to buy inorganic fertilizers.
The problem with organic fertilizers is that there is a bad synchronization between the availability of nutrients and the demand of the crops. This is because organic fertilizers release their nutrients slowly and not necessarily at the times when crops require them. This means that growing organic coffee is slower because nutrients take time to be released, slowing down the growth rate of the plant. The use of inorganic fertilizers instead, allows faster plant growth because it is modified to maintain a higher yield. Inorganic fertilizers must be purchased but less inorganic fertilizers can be used because they are more concentrated than organic.
Farmers may choose to combine organic and inorganic fertilizers, which appears to maximize the yield of cultivated land and thus lessen the need for further expansion of agricultural land. An alternative that is emerging strongly is vermiculture. The cultivation of earthworms with the aim of increasing the number of worms and using them in the degradation of organic waste and converting them into rich fertilizers and soil conditioners. This process is known as vermicomposting.
The problem with organic fertilizers is that there is a bad synchronization between the availability of nutrients and the demand of the crops. This is because organic fertilizers release their nutrients slowly and not necessarily at the times when crops require them. This means that growing organic coffee is slower because nutrients take time to be released, slowing down the growth rate of the plant. The use of inorganic fertilizers instead, allows faster plant growth because it is modified to maintain a higher yield. Inorganic fertilizers must be purchased but less inorganic fertilizers can be used because they are more concentrated than organic.
Farmers may choose to combine organic and inorganic fertilizers, which appears to maximize the yield of cultivated land and thus lessen the need for further expansion of agricultural land. An alternative that is emerging strongly is vermiculture. The cultivation of earthworms with the aim of increasing the number of worms and using them in the degradation of organic waste and converting them into rich fertilizers and soil conditioners. This process is known as vermicomposting.
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