After the book group had finished breakfast at Allie's house, she asked how we liked the coffee.

We loved it.

She told us that it was produced by Café Xinca and was known as My Father's Coffee - the Humanitarian Bean. The grower was related by marriage to a family member of one of Allie's friends and that's how it came to her attention.

Why humanitarian? Because they donate 5% of their profits to the education of children that would not otherwise be able to afford school supplies, uniforms or shoes to wear to school in the rainy season.

Café Xinca is not just humanitarian. It's also green. That makes sense because good hearts usually extend kindness to nature as well as to people (who are, after all, members of the natural world).

Café Xinca incorporates sustainable practices into the production of its coffee. The coffee trees are interspersed with shade trees, which helps keep the soil from being depleted. The trees also provide habitat for birds. Café Xinca uses no pesticides and its workers are paid a livable wage.

It's a small operation now, but if my theory that people want to buy from kind, eco-conscious suppliers is correct, it's going to grow.

Cool beans.