Conscious coffee.
Make the World Better with Every Sip
How can we use our beautiful power collectively to stop deforestation, heal the planet, and support farmers with every cup of coffee? Make the world better with every sip!
That’s the big question this week’s Brave New Girls podcast guest, Etelle Higonnet, is tackling head-on. Etelle is an attorney, environmental activist, and a Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite for her pioneering work curbing deforestation in high-risk commodities like cocoa, palm oil, soy, and cattle. She is also the founder of Coffee Watch, a nonprofit watchdog working to reform the global coffee industry- an industry with a dark underbelly of slavery, child labor, deforestation, and pesticide-soaked monoculture.
Etelle’s mission is bold: make the world a better place with every cup of coffee.
Coffee’s Hidden Cost
When we grab a latte on the way to work, most of us don’t realize that coffee is the sixth biggest driver of deforestation globally. Behind that morning pick-me-up lies a tangled web of environmental devastation and human exploitation. Farmers are often trapped in extreme poverty, earning as little as $2.15 a day, while forests that are home to jaguars, sloths, and countless species are cleared to grow monoculture coffee.
But here’s the hopeful part: every single one of us can change this. As Etelle says,
“Most people are good. If they knew their coffee was linked to slavery and deforestation, they’d be horrified, and they’d demand better.”
Coffee Watch: Shining a Light
That’s exactly what Coffee Watch is doing. They’re developing a Coffee Scorecard, ranking global brands on their impact: from labour rights and deforestation to gender equity and pesticide use. For the first time, consumers will be able to look beyond opaque certifications and know whether their coffee is truly ethical.
Etelle’s journey, shaped by years as a human rights lawyer, her work at Greenpeace and Mighty Earth, and her realization that “we can’t have human rights on a dead planet” reminds us that change comes when individuals step up where nobody else will.
She also reminds us that courage isn’t about perfection. It’s about doing your best in the moment. You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight- just start with your morning brew.
Brave New Girl- How to Be Fearless.
10 Actionable Steps for a better future.
Choose ethical brands – Do one hour of research, then stick with coffee that pays farmers fairly and avoids deforestation.
Look for agroforestry coffee – Shade-grown beans protect forests and biodiversity.
Support local roasters – Ask about their sourcing. Transparency matters.
Check the Coffee Watch website – Use their upcoming scorecard to guide your choices.
Sign petitions – Coffee Watch curates campaigns demanding corporate accountability.
Be an ambassador – Ask your office, university, or café to switch to sustainable coffee.
Gift ethical coffee – Share better beans with friends and family.
Raise your voice online – Post on coffee brands’ social media demanding transparency.
Reduce waste – Use a reusable cup and compost coffee grounds.
Stay informed – Follow Coffee Watch and similar NGOs to keep momentum going.
Etelle’s story shows us that change happens cup by cup, choice by choice, voice by voice. When we use our collective power as consumers, we can end slavery in supply chains, protect rainforests, and help farmers thrive.
With every sip of coffee, you have the power to protect forests, support farmers, and heal the planet. Choose wisely and make it count.
PS. Listen HERE to ETELLE’S journey on BRAVE NEW GIRLS podcast to hear how she helps us create well beings on a well planet.
