Guilt-Free Cup 'O Joe

Like most, I've gotta have that first cup (or two) of morning Joe. I buy organic and fair trade whenever I can, but I've recently learned that buying Certified Shade Grown coffee helps conserve vital rainforest habitat for the birds that we rely on for help pollinating our food supply (and not to mention the rainforest is our greatest defense against global warming).

According to experts with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center's Coffee Corner, an exploding demand for coffee has led to the increased production of sun-grown coffee, which grows more quickly and produces higher yield. The problem is that sun-grown coffee is usually grown where shade (or forest) plantations used to exist. Now farmers must use high levels of fertilizers that lead to soil damage and the destruction of forest as a long-term resource for native peoples and wildlife.

There are 150 species of migratory bird species that rely on tropical forest canopy for survival, and studies show that the diversity of migratory birds plummets when coffee plantations are converted from shade to sun. When buying coffee, check the label or ask your grocer (Trader Joes and Whole Foods are the two places I've found it) for certified shade grown coffee and sit back and relax.