There is mounting evidence that much of the global coffee industry does not consistently 
meet two basic tests of sustainability: protection of the environment and social fairness. 
Nevertheless, a growing number of coffee producers, coffee companies and consumers 
are pioneering efforts to encourage the coffee industry to move toward more 
environmentally friendly practices and toward more economic and social benefits for 
producers. Three categories of coffees attempt to meet some or all of these criteria; they 
are Organic, Shade Grown and Fair Trade coffees. For the purposes of this survey, these 
are collectively termed "sustainable coffees