Veracruz, Mexico

I am attending the North American Ornithological Conference in Veracruz, Mexico.  Coffee breaks are catered by Consejo Regulador del Cafe Veracruz, the organization that regulates and certifies "Cafe Veracruz" labeled coffee, guaranteeing origin and quality.

Veracruz state is on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, and is divided into three growing regions, as shown in this map (click to enlarge).

One of the farm requirements is for coffee (arabica only: typical, bourbon, or Mundo Novo) to be shade grown (how much I don't know).  There are several vendors selling these coffees as well, but so far I've only seen ground coffee, and would rather not bring that home for a review.  The coffee we've had on breaks has been quite good.  If I do find whole beans, I'll snap some up for a report.

I've seen several posters on coffee and birds, and talked to several people very involved in both research and the certification process.  I will have much more information in the weeks to come as I synthesize what I learn.  More later.