Made in the Shade: Six Reasons to Choose Organic, Shade-Grown, Fair Trade Coffee

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_31081.cfm

By Hannah Bewsey and Ronnie Cummins
Organic Consumers Association, October 1, 2014




Photo Credit: izahorsky via Compfightcc

If your day hasn’t really begun until that first sip of coffee, you’re not alone. According to the National Coffee Association, more than 80 percent of U.S. adults drink coffee on a regular basis.

But consumers are getting wiser—and choosier—about which coffee brands they buy. A recent trend in ethical consumerism has seen coffee-lovers voting with their dollars. And what they’re voting for are organic, shade-grown and fair trade beans—for a number of reasons, including better taste and a higher nutritional profile, in addition to environmental and fair trade concerns.

What are conscientious consumers not buying? Coffee grown on corporate-owned sun plantations, produced with a heavy reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and little regard for the health and welfare of plantation workers and small, sustainable farmers.

The evolution of coffee growing

Traditionally, coffee beans or “fruits” have grown at high altitudes in tropical climates. Of the greater than 50 coffee-producing countries, Brazil ranks first in total exports, followed by Vietnam, Colombia and Indonesia. The majority of beans cultivated in these locales belong to the species Coffea Arabica, which contains less caffeine, and tastes less bitter, than the Robusta variety that may be used as filler in some brands.

FULL story at link.