General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMade 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 hasnt really begun until that first sip of coffee, youre 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 wiserand choosierabout which coffee brands they buy. A recent trend in ethical consumerism has seen coffee-lovers voting with their dollars. And what theyre voting for are organic, shade-grown and fair trade beansfor 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.
tabbycat31
(6,336 posts)I think it's called breakfast blend, but I'm too lazy to go into the kitchen and look. My Keurig really likes it as do I. I'm always open for new coffee to suggest (and I'll put it on my wish list for people who give me gifts).
2naSalit
(86,779 posts)a very rural community but there's a local roaster in town and he roasts and sells, exclusively, fair trade coffee. I won't buy it anywhere else regardless of cost. Interestingly, his coffee sells for less than the top seven name brands. Almost all the restaurants use his coffee too along with nearby businesses in surrounding communities, he's very busy.
hunter
(38,327 posts)... and there are green organic versions available, even from worker owned co-ops.
To me it tastes rather like green tea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_mate
In my imagination there is a caffeinated plant as easy to grow as cannabis. (Not that I've ever grown cannabis, but I have seen it growing as a weed.) I could plant that in my yard and know exactly where my morning beverage came from.