Coffee beans are raked to dry in the sun in western Guatemala. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption
Coffee Week Coffee ... social stimulant, solitary pleasure, intellectual catalyst. From small specialty farms in Guatemala to the neighborhood coffee shop, our morning cup of Joe connects us to far corners of the globe.
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Coffee Week
Coffee is social stimulant and solitary pleasure, and connects us to the far corners of the globe.
Eduardo Somarriba is a researcher at the Center for Tropical Agricultural Research and Education in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Dan Charles/NPR hide caption
Three women in coffee leading the way: Stephanie Backus of Portland Roasting, coffee farmer Miguelina Villatoro of Guatemala, and coffee exporter/processor Loyreth Sosa. Here they discuss coffee prices as they survey beans ready for milling. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption
Many believe that humanity's caffeine addiction has wrought a lot of good. istockphoto.com hide caption
Luis Fernando Vasquez has been a coffee farmer in the central valley of Costa Rica his entire life. Dan Charles/NPR hide caption
Coffee For A Cause: What Do Those Feel-Good Labels Deliver?
A barista serves coffee at a cafe in Naples, Italy. The Italian city's long-standing tradition of buying a cup for a less-fortunate stranger is now spreading across Europe. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images hide caption
Workers separate beans in the coffee warehouse in Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. Coffee originated in Ethiopia, but now grows in more then 50 countries around the world. Michael Tsegaye/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
An overseer sits in the shade while workers collect coffee beans on a Brazilian plantation, circa 1750. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption
