Sustainably grown coffee takes a giant leap forward as McDonald's UK is now sourcing all of its coffee beans from farms certified by the Rainforest Alliance. Only farms that meet specific, independent and verifiable standards balancing all aspects of production, including protecting the environment, the rights and welfare of workers and the interest of coffee-growing communities are awarded Rainforest Alliance certification.

This new and growing market will directly benefit thousands of farmers and farm workers while protecting the environment. The premium that McDonald's pays for its coffee is plowed back into sustainable farm management, including the protection of ecosystems and access to clean and safe living and working conditions, schools, healthcare, training, potable drinking water, decent wages, better markets for crops and other worker rights and benefits.

This is the latest example of a recent trend toward sustainable certified products breaking out of specialty niches and into mass markets, gaining popularity with large companies, mainstream outlets, and consumers.

In the past three years, the amount of coffee purchased from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms has, on average, doubled. Other mainstream outlets in the United States now carry Rainforest Alliance Certified coffees.

On another level, green conventions and events are a new but growing sector and marketing point within the convention and hospitality industry. More environmentally aware organizations, corporations and government agencies are now seeking more sustainable event practices, greener hotels, restaurants and convention venues, and more energy efficient or climate neutral travel and ground transportation.

With the advent of the internet, some traditional conventions are being replaced with virtual conventions, where the attendees remain in their home physical location and "attend" the convention by use of a web-based interface programmed for the task. This sort of "virtual" meeting eliminates all of the impacts associated with travel, accommodation, food wastage, and other necessary impacts of traditional, physical conventions.