Let's have Another Cup of Coffee

Ah, that first cup of coffee in the morning is just what my middle aged body needs to get the ‘ol brain and appendages moving. Some folks would say that I’m addicted to caffeine. I plead guilty. I inhaled; then I drank it and poured another.

As a child I said I’d never “do coffee”, but relentless pushers in college beat down my resistance and got me hooked. I continue to feed my habit as a mature adult.

An enabling factor in my addiction is my church. Yes, I’m a Lutheran, and coffee greases the machinery that runs the church. The pots are perking at every function, and on Sunday mornings, there are so many cups and travel mugs attached to hands, they look like part of people’s anatomy.

After learning some disquieting facts about the living conditions of the farmers that produce coffee, and the effect huge commercial plantations have on wildlife, particularly neotropical migrants, our church, like many others is planning to switch to Fair Trade Coffee. As a people with a mandate not to purposely cause harm, to other people or the planet, we need to make the switch.

What is Fair Trade and Shade Grown Coffee?

Even though Americans are the largest consumer of coffee in the world, few realize that coffee agriculture workers often toil in virtual "sweatshops in the fields." Many small farmers receive prices for their coffee that are less than the costs of production, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debt.

If the coffee we drink has the certification “Fair Trade”, it assures us that the purchase happened under fair conditions. To become certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria; paying a minimum price per pound of $1.26, providing credit to farmers, and providing help transitioning to organic farming. For coffee farmers this means community development, health, education, and environmental stewardship.

Also, in the name of the almighty dollar, many corporate coffee farms converted to tree-free, bird barren monocultures in recent years to increase production.
The coffee plant evolved in Africa under the rainforest canopy and grows best in the shade. A traditional shade grown coffee farm can provide habitat not only to birds, but many varied forms of wildlife. As many farms turn into monotonous rows of intensely managed shrubs, they become wastelands that are devastating to wildlife.
Neotropical migrants, otherwise known as our familiar summer songbirds, depend on the rainforest to survive. They breed in the habitat and backyards of North America and then migrate south for the winter.

Some birds affected by the deforestation for coffee plantations that you may recognize are: Sharp-shinned and Broad winged Hawks, American Kestrels, Nighthawks, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, various vireos, swallows, warblers, tanagers, Indigo Buntings, Western Kingbirds, and Baltimore Orioles.

If a coffee has a “Shade Grown” designation it’s certified better for the environment.
Many outlets in Central Illinois sell both Fair Trade and Shade Grown coffee, and though it’s more expensive in some cases, you can find it at reasonable prices at many retailers, including, if you must, Sam’s Clubs. My personal opinion is that it tastes better.

So, I still plan on enjoying my coffee, but I’ll try to be a good steward of the planet and its people while sipping. It’ll go down smoother.