Editor:
"Turning poop into gold; Feces coffee comes to Santa Monica" (Jan. 11-12) might be better titled "Cruel coffee comes to Santa Monica," according to reports I have been reading about this product for some time. I find it difficult to believe the business owner's published claim that the particular product being offered in Santa Monica comes from free-roaming civets; it's hard to imagine that foragers walking through the forests with scoops and bags are supplying enough coffee for the trade. How do we know this is true?
In contrast, there are numerous reports that wild civets are being poached in the jungle, caged in cramped prison-camp conditions and force fed a debilitating diet of coffee cherries to produce the coffee, causing malnutrition, fur loss and a high mortality rate. For some species of civet, there's a reported conservation risk. Check out a video at www.peta.org
A product like this has no place in Santa Monica until the business owner's claims can be verified and certified by a credible organization.
Bob Seldon
Santa Monica
