Have you ever stopped to think from where and how your coffee gets into your cup each morning? It seems to me that it is rather like a light switch: we flick the switch and have light without even thinking about the "why" or "where".
The story of coffee is interesting.
Where I live it has been the main livelihood of the local people for over a century. Coatepec is home to well known brands of Mexican coffee: Bola de Oro (named for a local waterfall), La Mata, and Colon. Much of the coffee is also sold to international distributors and may end up in mugs of the steaming brew served in Starbuck's or your favorite local cafe.

This area is ideal for the growth of high quality coffee beans: many families working on smaller "fincas" (farms) as well as larger growers produce certified shade grown aromatic coffee beans which are highly prized for their robust flavor.

How is coffee grown?
Surprisingly, coffee is really classified as a fruit. The plant grows slowly and does not produce its distinctive red "cherries" for 3 to 5 years due to a slower growth rate caused by the high elevation. The mature tree (really a tall bush) is lovely when leafed out in its delicate, shiny leaves and covered with its distinctive white, jasmine like flowers which only last for a day or two. Around December, once the beans ripen to their deep red color, the groves have a very festive appearance. Harvesting in Coatepec is done by hand and is labor intensive since only the ripe beans are picked. This means that each tree can be picked numerous times during a season. However, rather than the berry, the farmers are really looking for what is encapsulated within the berry: usually twin coffee beans. These beans are surrounded by a layer of sugary, jelly-like pulp which is just underneath the red (or yellow) thick ripe skin.

Coffee cherries must be processed soon after harvesting to prevent the pulp from fermenting around the bean. Most processing in this region is a dry (or natural) process. Cherries are spread outside for 15 to 20 days. The cherries are exposed to the sun and stirred regularly to help them dry evenly. The dried cherries are then hulled by hand or by machine, removing the dried out pulp and parchment. This is the way coffee has been processed for centuries.

After processing the beans are sorted by size and looks, then bagged for shipment, or sent to local roasters.

Roasting is the final step in the process and is the most important one.
Green coffee beans are roasted at temperatures ranging from 370 to 450 degrees for up to 20 minutes. During this time they lose 18 to 23% of their weight and increase in size by 35 to 60%. They change color from a light straw green color to medium brown or dark brown, depending upon the degree of roast. The bean splits open and brings out the rich aroma of the coffee. Beans are classified by the amount of time they are roasted: a longer roast time produces a darker bean with a deep rich flavor.

In order to continue to produce some of the world's finest coffee, Coatepec is increasing production of "Bird Friendly" coffee! Wonder what that is?
According to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Migratory Bird Center newsletter, "Simply put, "Bird Friendly®" coffee is coffee that comes from farms in Latin America that provide good, forest-like habitat for birds. Rather than being grown on land that has been cleared of all other vegetation, "Bird Friendly®" coffees are planted under a canopy of trees. Because of the shaded, forest-like setting created by these canopy trees, coffee produced this way is called shade-grown. Not only are "Bird Friendly®" coffees shade-grown, they are also organic, meaning they're grown without the use of chemical pesticides which poison the environment."

That is a mouth full but it is very important to recognize the importance of this certification. Agriculture is fickle and the world market has, over the years, changed the crop formation in the region of Veracruz. It may not seem too big a deal that thousands of acres that have been coffee plantations for over a century have given way to the production of sugar cane. This change may have resulted in a greater cash-flow in the short term but the result on the environment has been a negative gain. Sugar cane does not grow under trees so all this acreage has been denuded of the large tress that were providing shade to the coffee plants. Obviously, then, without trees birds have "flown the coup" and their flight patterns have had a major shift and there has been a loss of habitat for the migrating and resident birds alike. Species are being lost and the weather patterns are changing. In addition, jobs have been lost since sugar cane relies on machinery while the hand-picked coffee employed whole villages. We see then that one small change has brought havoc to many parts of the State of Veracruz.

So, the next time you reach for that aromatic cup of coffee you might stop to ask if the beans are ones that have been certified as Bird-friendly. If not, perhaps you might want to switch to brands that have the certification. That way you will not only savor a rich, shade grown organic cup of coffee but you will also be taking one small step to help a bird in need!

"Bird Friendly®" coffees are the only coffees on the market that are certified as shade-grown and organic by an independent third-party inspector using criteria established by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center of the National Zoo. These criteria are based on years of scientific research. Companies that sell "Bird Friendly®" coffees contribute 25 cents per pound to support Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center research and conservation programs.