All people drink coffee from time to time and some people say that life is too short for them to be drinking bad coffee. If you are also an environment-friendly person, you should make sure that you get sustainable coffee, which is good both for you and for the planet.
Organically Grown
These are the coffee beans that you should be looking for. This means that the beans have been produced without using artificial herbicides or pesticides. As a result the pollution from fertilizers and wastewater is kept to a minimum and soil erosion is also decreased.
Fair Trade Certified
This is a certification which assures consumers that the coffee they buy was produced by harvesters who work in fair conditions and who receive proper payment for their work. This way you can help the planet because there is a direct link between poverty and environment awareness.
Shade Grown
It is interesting to know that the coffee trees that grow in the forest offer shelter and proper living conditions for numerous animal species including birds. The coffee farms that are concerned with shade growing can offer a home to 150 different animal species. As a result the coffee trees can ensure biodiversity.
Kinds of Shade Grown Coffee Trees
The sad truth is that there are many different kinds of shade grown coffee trees. At this point there is no regulation regarding their growth. To find the beans that are the best for you, you should be looking for the beans that were grown in a rustic shade. This means that the trees were grown in 70%-100% shade cover.
Climate Change
One of the most important aspects to take into consideration is to make sure that the coffee beans you buy are grown close to where you live. Locally produced coffee will reduce carbon emissions caused by distribution and transportation.
Carbon-Neutral Coffee
If you are really interested in eco-friendly products you should also consider the carbon footprint of the products. This is important because coffee trees are sensitive to climate. If the climate changes, coffee trees will be affected and the quality of the coffee will change, and for sure you would like to enjoy the same good coffee that you did until now.
Temperature
Specialists know that coffee trees are so sensitive that even the slightest change in temperature can affect the coffee production of an entire country. When trees are cut, they have a direct effect on average temperature, affecting the crops.
