Organic farming systems do not use toxic chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Instead, they are based on the development of biological diversity and the maintenance and replenishment of soil fertility.
Organic farmers build healthy soils by fertilizing and building soil organic matter.
In the shade coffee farm, the natural leaf compost and hulls from the coffee are returned to the soil as fertilizers. This produces healthy coffee plants that are better able to resist disease and insects. Organic coffee farmers' primary strategy in controlling pests and diseases is prevention. The farmers also rely on a diverse population of birds as well as soil organisms, insects, and other natural ways of keeping pests in check. New varieties of coffee have been developed to tolerate high levels of sun and increase yield.