Better Latte Than Never

Coffee: Have an Impact on the World, One Cup at a Time 4


Coffee: Many of us drink it. Need it. Love it. Did we mention need it? But conventional coffee production has its eco-downsides. Umbra explains why you should get steamed — and how you can make a big impact, one cup at a time.


Stay tuned to our “Screw Earth Day“ series for more money-saving ways to save the planet.


“Ask Umbra” is the first video series produced by GristTV. Look for new video tips for greening your life from Umbra nearly every week.


Watch it on the go! Subscribe to GristTV video podcasts via iTunes.


Related Links

Yours is to wonder why, hers is to answer (or try). Send your green-living questions to Umbra.

Umbra Fisk is Grist Research Associate II, Hardcover and Periodicals Unit, floors 2B-4B.

Advertisement
Advertisement
  1. PermieWriter's avatar

    PermieWriter Posted 10:56 am
    16 Apr 2009

    The Songbird Friendly label is also one to look for. My favorite companies are Taylor Maid in Sebastopol: They have awesome relationships with their growers. And Ritual Roasters in San Francisco goes beyond anything sane.
    My husband's morning brew is made with Ritual Roasters espresso beans, Dagoba Fair Trade chocolate syrup and Clover milk. It's basically a mocha of righteousness.While you're at it, make sure your bananas are organic and Fair Trade. For one thing, if they're not organic, they were probably steeped in methyl bromide, one of the worst greenhouse gasses you can imagine.
  2. kmp Posted 2:34 pm
    16 Apr 2009

    For delicious, single-source, coffee-with-a-conscience, check out www.littlefeetcoffee.com. Little Feet is a non-profit org that distributes soccer balls to children in need all over the world; while on a trip to Honduras to distribute balls, the LF founders ended up at a coffee collective high in the hills, and Little Feet Coffee was born. Part of the proceeds supports the collective's children's soccer team (gear, uniforms, actual soccer balls instead of rolled up coffee sacks) and the rest goes to pay higher-than-Fair-Trade prices to this collective that grows organic, rainforest certified, shade-grown coffee. I subscribed to a monthly shipment of LF coffee and it's one of the highlights of my month when it comes in the mail.


    Full disclosure: Trevor Slavick, one of the founders, is a friend of mine. But that doesn't make the coffee less delicious, nor the cause less worthy. Check it out!
  3. juliehart Posted 4:42 am
    20 Apr 2009

    The best coffee to protect birds and biodiversity is certified "Bird Friendly" by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Look for this triple-certified coffee (bird-friendly, organic, and fair trade) at your local co-op (search here) or purchase from Birds&Beans.
    Drink responsibly!

Add a Comment

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have an account, log in. If you don't have an account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

Hello, Visitor!    Why not register?

Advertisement