Cool beans

At 8,000 feet, the air is pure and clear in Chiapas, a state in southern Mexico where steep, green hillsides are plushly carpeted in maize fields, banana plants, and coffee trees. Here, in the rich, volcanic soil, the trees break out in red berries that, when mature, produce $250 million in prized altura coffee each year.

Unfortunately, due to the volatility of the coffee market, a lack of equipment and technical know-how, and profiteering middlemen, these Chiapas campesinos, many of whom farm on less than seven acres, live on about $3 a day — less than the price of one Venti latte at Starbucks. ...

Fair Trade practices are viewed as one solution to the coffee crisis, which persists despite rising international prices and demand. Fair Trade principles prohibit forced child labor and provide living wages for farmers, while sustaining their communities. And there are environmental benefits, as well: Although sun-grown coffee produces greater yields, Fair Trade coffee is shade-grown, which eliminates the need for clear-cutting and preserves delicate ecosystems. And since many farmers can’t afford pesticides and other chemicals, there is an ample supply of organic Fair Trade coffee.