Background information

Resources for new readers

by JulieCraves on November 29, 2016

Resources for Michigan Blue Magazine readers and American Birding Association members on the birds and coffee connection.

Revised on January 7, 2022

Latest update of peer-reviewed coffee research.

Bird-friendly coffee short

by JulieCraves on August 28, 2015

A film about the decline of North American songbirds called The Messenger includes a segment about coffee and bird habitat.

Revised on January 7, 2022

Annual recap of how much we spend on coffee in a year Here we are on our 6th year of standardized tracking of how much the two-person Coffee & Conservation […]

Revised on November 14, 2019

An episode of the local program The Green Room where I talk about eco-friendly coffee and birds.

Revised on January 7, 2022

What is a certified B Corp, and which coffee companies have the certification?

Revised on January 8, 2022

An update on the accelerating pace of land use for coffee growing in China and its environmental impact.

Revised on January 8, 2022

A guide to more information of interest to readers of my article “The True Cost of Coffee” in BirdWatching Magazine.

Revised on January 8, 2022

The True Cost of Coffee

by JulieCraves on January 5, 2013

The February 2013 issue of BirdWatching Magazine (formerly Birder’s World) is in bookstores and other retailers now. It contains my article on the connection between coffee, birds, and biodiversity, The […]

Revised on January 8, 2022

We may all be getting to know robusta a little better in the future. It seems fitting to offer a little introduction.

Revised on July 8, 2021

Multiple studies have shown that birders can well afford to drink sustainably-grown coffee that supports the birds they enjoy so much.

Revised on November 28, 2020

In spite of what many people believe, Fair Trade certification alone does not automatically mean or guarantee that rigorous environmental standards were followed, or that the coffee was grown under shade. Here’s a summary of the Fair Trade environmental standards.

Revised on November 24, 2020

Not only is it time for us — birders — to acknowledge that our consumption is often in conflict with our professed beliefs and passions, it’s time to do something about it.

Revised on December 11, 2018

If you are one of the 160 million coffee drinkers in the U.S., you can make a decisive, positive impact on poverty by refusing to buy cheap grocery store coffee from NestlÁ©, Procter & Gamble, Kraft, and Sara Lee.

Revised on January 8, 2022

I have updated my post covering botanical varieties of coffee with a link to James Hoffman’s family tree of coffee, and a table of coffee genotypes from a paper published in the Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology which I…

Revised on January 8, 2022