Grist - Comment Feed for Coffee: Have an Impact on the World, One Cup at a Time

Comment #1 by PermieWriter

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:56:13 -0700

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.

Comment #2 by kmp

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:34:12 -0700

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!

Comment #3 by juliehart

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:42:22 -0700

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!