Coffee with Cream — And a Conscience

Does fair trade mean it tastes better? A guide to "cause coffees"
By LISA MCLAUGHLIN

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.

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