No foam, vanilla soy, fair-trade latte

As a parent of two young children, coffee is an important part of my day. Lattes, espressos, mochaccinos, hot or iced - I drink it all. Whether I brew it at home or buy a cup from my local coffeehouse, I always insist on java that is fair-trade, shade-grown, and organic.

Fair-trade basically means paying a fair price to the farmers who grow the coffee beans.* In turn, the farmers can then live a good life by being able to pay their children’s school fees, put food on their tables, access quality health care, and the like. When people’s basic needs are met, they are then more likely to care about their environment, leading them to sustainable agricultural practices like growing coffee without clearing the land of its trees and not using agrochemicals like synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Coffee shrubs have traditionally grown in the shade of tall trees. It was only about 30 years ago when the shade-grown coffee farms in Latin America converted to “sun-coffee” farms to increase yields. In order to get the full sun, trees are cut down or severely thinned so the coffee shrubs can grow faster. Unfortunately, because shade-grown coffee farms attract birds and other forest wildlife, the switch to sun-coffee farms is also contributing to the decrease of birds that migrate to Latin America.**

With over 63% of Canadians drinking it on daily basis, coffee is our number one beverage.*** We, as Canadians, have the power to demand that our coffee be fair-trade, shade-grown, and organic. So the next time you order a cup of java or purchase coffee beans in the grocery store, exercise that power to make our planet a better place.

*Fairtrade Foundation, “What is Fairtrade?”, http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/what_is_fairtrade/faqs.aspx.

**Audubon, “Shade-Grown Coffee,” http://www.audubon.org/bird/at_home/coffee/.

***Coffee Association of Canada, “2003 Canadian Coffee Drinking Study,” http://www.coffeeassoc.com/coffeeincanada.htm.