Traditionally, coffee was grown intermingled with tall trees in an environment that closely resembled an actual forest, with undergrowth consisting of coffee bushes. The falling leaves of the trees above acted as fertilizer and the natural biodiversity of the forest created an equilibrium, which acted as its own pest management system. In an environment such as this, native wildlife co-exists within the farm in a habitat without borders. In an effort to increase worldwide coffee production, varieties of coffee were developed for use on large-scale, full-sunlight farms. The result was an increased yield but also a corresponding increase in the generation of toxins from the now required use of fertilizers and pesticides. The loss of wildlife, as habitat was gobbled up for the growing of only coffee plants, was also a result. If you drink coffee called robusta (often found in instant coffee and the large, bulk cans used by offices), you may be contributing to deforestation, much of it in Indonesia. The National Wildlife Federation is working to promote the growth and use of shade-grown coffee. Learn more on their website.

• http://www.nwf.org/getgreen/Coffee.cfm