Where many chemicals have been used, this transition results in a temporary drop in production. This is no scam, for coffee can offer environmental and social values without being organic. Flipping it around, coffee that is certified as organic may not meet social or environmental standards. Northern consumers need not resolve these questions to have an impact. Merely by posing such questions to those from whom they purchase coffee, consumers can support the self-consciousness already spreading in the coffee trading system.
Consumers can be a force for greater transparency.
Where a vendor claims to promote social and environmental outcomes, we can ask when someone associated with that business last visited the farms where their coffee is produced. Where a vendor claims to return more income to coffee growers than is normal, we can ask for numbers. Where certification is claimed, we can ask for the criteria used and the name of the certifying organization. If half the campuses in the United States purchased responsible coffee, the impact would be tremendous. Marketing and consumer acceptance at the northern consumer end are complex matters that deserve an essay fully as long as this one, which I hope one of you will write.