As yields increase, the bird habitats decrease. Of course, the chemicals employed in the process are not that helpful either. To qualify, coffee must be grown in an environmentally friendly manner and in safe working conditions. In Seattle, where coffee bars first emerged, roasters, retailers and importers have formed the Northwest Shade Campaign in order to increase awareness of this issue. In the United States, we drink a large percentage of the world's produced coffee.
Consumers can always affect a change if they insist that merchants sell just what they want to buy.
You will recall the stories several years ago which revealed that dolphins were being killed as a result of tuna fishing. Shade tree coffee activists can insist on similar measures. In addition, the U.S. government can treat this as a serious issue as well. For example, foreign aid packages can include shade tree coffee commitments. The key for American activists is convincing our government to take this matter seriously and to impose these aid and loan obligations.