As their primary organization, the Northwest Shade Coffee Campaign, has evolved over the past two years, its members have recognized the need to create a recognizable logo for consumers. T his seal would signify that a coffee was legitimately shade-grown and that it was honestly labeled. The following e-mail discussion embodies the relevant principles as they are evolving. I think it is beautiful but the message is certified organic. Karen has a valid point in her comments, but we must move forward on many fronts simultaneously.
Coffee is composed of hundreds of chemical compounds.
It is complex scientifically. Similarly, it is complex when it comes to its environmental, social, and economic issues. The product resists simplification. I would think that we must find the path to certification of shade, and then we must find the way to merge shade with organic. Perhaps the merger of ideas is more difficult to grasp than the merger of two giant corporations, but these mergers in business occur because a level of efficiency is perceived to be possible with the merger.