Organic tea and coffee: how to read the labels

Guide · 2026-10-16 · 5 min read · by the Blueberry Bear Team

Tea and coffee are among the most-bought organic products in Australia, and among the most heavily labelled. A single bag of beans can carry an organic logo, a Fairtrade mark, a Rainforest Alliance frog and the roaster's own story. This guide explains what each mark means, how imported organic tea and coffee are certified, and what to check before you buy.

We don't make health claims about tea or coffee. This is a guide to labels and buying.

Most tea and coffee is imported

Nearly all coffee and most tea sold in Australia is grown overseas, in countries such as Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, India, Sri Lanka, China and Kenya. That matters for organic labels, because the product passes through several hands: the farm or co-operative, an exporter, an importer, and often an Australian roaster or packer.

For an organic claim to hold up, every step that handles the product needs to be covered. In practice you'll see one of these:

1. An overseas organic mark, such as the EU organic leaf or USDA Organic, when the product was certified and packed overseas.
2. An Australian certifier's logo, such as the ACO bud, when an Australian roaster or packer is itself certified. The beans or leaves are organic at origin, and the Australian business is certified to roast, blend or pack them.
3. Both, on some products.

If an Australian roaster says its coffee is organic but shows no certifier at all, ask which certifier covers its roasting and packing. A coffee can be grown organically but lose its certified status if it's roasted and packed by a business that isn't certified. See How to check an organic certificate for how to look up a number.

The three marks you'll see most

Certified organic

Covers how the tea or coffee was grown and handled: no synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, plus rules on processing, storage and keeping organic and non-organic product apart. It's checked by audit against a certifier's standard. Our guide to Australian organic logos and label wording explains the logos.

Fairtrade

The Fairtrade Mark is about how farmers and workers are paid and treated, not organic growing. Fairtrade producers receive the Fairtrade Minimum Price, a floor meant to cover the cost of sustainable production (or the market price if that's higher), plus the Fairtrade Premium, an extra sum that producer groups decide how to spend. Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand looks after the mark here.

Fairtrade standards include environmental rules, but Fairtrade isn't the same as organic. You'll often see both marks on one pack, because many Fairtrade co-operatives also grow organically and pay for both certifications.

Rainforest Alliance

The green frog seal shows that a farm meets the Rainforest Alliance's sustainable agriculture standard, which covers environmental and social practices. The Rainforest Alliance merged with UTZ in 2018, so older UTZ logos have been phased out in favour of the frog. Like Fairtrade, the frog isn't an organic certification, and it doesn't guarantee a minimum price.

Wording to watch

• "Organic" with a certifier logo and number: the clearest claim.
• "Made with organic coffee" or "contains organic tea": may mean only some ingredients are organic. Check the ingredient list, especially in blends, chai mixes and flavoured teas.
• "Ethically sourced", "direct trade", "sustainable": these may be genuine, but they're not certifications. Look for specifics, such as the farm or co-op name and the price paid.
• "Natural flavours": in a flavoured tea or coffee, these aren't necessarily organic. In a certified organic product, flavourings must meet the standard's rules.
• Decaf: the decaffeination method matters for organic products, because organic standards restrict which processes can be used. Look for the certifier logo on the decaf pack itself, not just on the roaster's regular range.

Australian-grown tea and coffee

Australia grows a small amount of both, mostly in Queensland.

• Coffee is grown in far north Queensland, especially around Mareeba and the Atherton Tablelands, and in northern New South Wales. Farm gates and cafés on the Tablelands are a popular stop for visitors.
• Tea has been grown on the Atherton Tablelands for decades. Nerada, near Malanda, has long been described as Australia's largest tea plantation.

Australian-grown doesn't automatically mean organic, so check for a certifier as you would for imports. Australian-grown products also carry the country of origin label (the kangaroo in a triangle), which helps when you want to buy local.

Buying tips

1. Check the certifier on the pack you're buying. A roaster's website might say "organic", but only some of its blends may be certified.
2. Buy whole beans if you can grind them. Whole beans generally keep their flavour longer than ground coffee.
3. Buy loose-leaf tea in bulk at co-ops and refill stores, and ask which certified supplier the bin comes from. See our organic pantry staples guide for more on bulk buying.
4. Check the packaging. Some tea bags contain plastic. If that matters to you, choose loose leaf or bags clearly labelled plastic-free, and check any compostable claim (our sustainable packaging guide explains the logos).
5. Compare per 100 g. Organic coffee prices vary hugely. The unit price on the shelf label is the fairest comparison.

Storing tea and coffee

• Keep coffee in an airtight, opaque container, away from heat, light and moisture. A cool pantry is better than the fridge, where beans can pick up moisture and smells.
• Buy coffee in amounts you'll use in a few weeks, and check the roast date if there is one.
• Keep tea sealed and away from strong smells, such as spices.
• In Queensland's humidity, check that seals are tight. Damp is the enemy of both.

What we'll stock

Our Drinks category will include certified organic tea and coffee from Queensland roasters, packers and growers. Each product will show its certifier and certificate number. Where a retailer sells certified brands but isn't certified itself, we'll say "Certified product, retailer not certified". For now, the products on our site are clearly marked SAMPLE.

Information checked 16 October 2026 against Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand, the Rainforest Alliance and published information on Australian tea and coffee growing. General information only.

— the Blueberry Bear Team