The Conversation February 26, 2015 A Tacazze sunbird is a nectar-eating bird in Ethiopian forests, one of the birds that can live and help sustain healthy habitat on shade-grown coffee farms. Photo: Courtesy of Evan R. Buechley via The Conversaton Your choice of coffee can make a difference for birds in tropical parts of the world — and biodiversity overall. In a study on coffee plantations in Africa, we found that coffee farms with shade trees are best for birds and that these tropical birds likely provide important environmental and economic benefits to farmers. Earnings related to the coffee trade were an estimated US$173 billion in 2012 , making coffee one of the most valuable commodities. And for many tropical countries, it is the largest export. Coffee is grown on 24.8 million acres , mainly in tropical forest ecosystems, some of the most biologically rich terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. Agriculture make...