| A Green Cup of Jo |
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Wake Up and Smell a Greener Morning
While many of us can't contemplate a morning without our friendly cup of coffee to get us moving, there is no reason it can't be a planet-friendly cup. Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world, after oil. Our addiction to coffee has made the US a major importer of the beans importing almost 6 million bags in the 4th quarter of 2006 alone. Because of these staggering numbers, it's clear that we can have a big impact on the earth by buying eco-conscious coffee. Buy natural grown or organic coffee, which uses methods that have a low impact on the environment. What Makes It Green? Organic foods are grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers (for at least three years) and a sustainable crop rotation plan to maintain or improve the quality of the land. This makes them good for the world and healthier for you too. Rainforest Alliance Certified coffees are also grown on farms where forests are protected, rivers, soils and wildlife conserved; workers are treated with respect, paid decent wages, properly equipped and given access to education and medical care. Finally, forested coffee farms are critically important as migration stopovers for traveling birds. What You Can Do
More than 25 million people in the tropics depend on coffee, a crop that is the economic backbone of many countries.
Used coffee grinds are great for the garden. They add much needed nutrients to the soil and act as great mulch. |
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