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Every day, the number of coffee varieties seems to grow. On top of that, you almost need a decoder ring to decipher the various labels and mysterious acronyms. If you want to understand your coffee in relationship to how it’s affecting the environment, here’s a primer:

According to the environmental organization WWF (www.panda.org), the main negative environmental impacts from coffee production include habitat conversion, soil degradation, pesticide use and degradation of water quality.

Of the 50 countries in the world with the highest deforestation rates from 1990 to 1995, WWF says, 37 were coffee producers. And: The top 25 coffee exporters had a combined average annual forest cover loss of 70,000 square kilometres during the same years.
The most serious impact of coffee cultivation is the conversion of natural forest areas to plant coffee, WWF says. And most beans grown nowadays are full-sun coffee, which turns forests into plantations that destroy the natural ecosystems. The affected natural systems will never fully recover, WWF says.

And even shade-grown coffee isn’t free of criticism. According to WWF, “the severe thinning or clearing of forests for planting shade-grown coffee is also a major concern. Even with shade coffee, the number of tree species can be reduced by 80 percent or more.”

Coffee drinkers, don’t worry. You don’t have to give up your morning boost in order to help the planet. There are other alternatives, including buying certified Fair Trade coffee. This ensures that the growers are paid livable wages for their crops and that your coffee is likelier to be better for the environment.

According to www.globalexchange.org, about 85 percent of Fair Trade certified coffee is shade grown and either passive or certified organic.

And there’s a third label: “Bird-friendly” certified coffee is grown under a canopy of diverse trees that provide habitat to birds, according to Global Exchange.