Coffee with Cream--And a Conscience

Choosing the right blend in your local coffee bar just keeps getting more complicated. Now java junkies are faced with terms like organic, shade grown and fair trade. Each of these "cause coffees" usually costs a few dollars more a pound, forcing consumers to balance issues of ecology and politics against their budgets. That can be a difficult task before the first dose of caffeine in the morning. But we're here to help:

--Shade-grown coffee is exactly what it says. Instead of clearing the forest, farmers plant the crop among the forest plants, thus saving the local ecosystem. Shade trees furnish habitats for birds, and the Atlanta Audubon Society has found that 90% fewer species are found in sun-grown coffee areas. Shade trees also protect coffee plants from harsh elements, and the birds that are attracted provide natural pest control, which reduces the need for synthetic pesticides. As a bonus, many coffee drinkers find shade-grown varieties less bitter than those grown in the sun.

--Organic coffee, like all other organically grown crops, must be produced according to federal organic standards. It cannot come from genetically modified plants; nor can synthetic pesticides and fertilizers be used, among other restrictions. Usually, organic coffee has an earthy, rich flavor.

--Fair-trade coffee, which is often also organic and shade-grown, strives to give growers in developing nations a living wage. Coffee is the world's second largest traded commodity, after oil. But many coffee farmers live in abject poverty. Simply to meet production costs, they need to be paid 80¢ per lb., but the market rate is about 50¢. That translates into less than 12¢ an hour for the workers who pick and process the beans. Companies that are fair-trade certified buy coffee directly from farmers at set prices that allow them to pay their workers a living wage. And the java matches the taste of other premium beans.