Coffee and biodiversity hotspots

The image above (click to enlarge) is from the May 2002 issue of Scientific American ("Rethinking Green Consumerism") and shows the overlap of coffee growing areas and biodiversity hotspots (defined as spots housing 44% of all vascular plant species and 35% of all land-dwelling vertebrate animal species). I think this handily illustrates the importance of encouraging -- through our purchasing power -- coffee farms that preserve habitat, do not use harmful chemicals, and cultivate coffee in a way that is as close as practical to nature.

In 2007, resolve to buy coffee that protects and and cherishes the health of the people who grow it and the environment in which it is grown.  Happy New Year.