Like millions of other java-addicted consumers, you probably make a beeline for your local coffee shop every morning, and willingly shell out as much as $4 for a tall, non-fat latte. But what you pay for your morning fix equals a day's wages for the millions of workers who harvest the bean.

Since its discovery in the Ethiopian hillside in the sixth century, our beloved cup of joe has been a dominant force in shaping the economic and social structures of entire nations. Black Coffee provides an intriguing glimpse into the dark side of the brew, which is the second largest trading commodity in the world after oil, and like sugar, has been instrumental in promoting the slave trade.

The three-part series, from Montreal's Irene Angelico (The Cola Conquest) casts a critical eye on its human rights and ecological record that remains dodgy at best, and also links our morning ritual to the rise in the café culture and the fair trade movement's efforts to guarantee small growers at least a decent price.

PART 1: THE IRRESISTIBLE BEAN
Exploring coffee's origins in Ethiopia and its triumphant spread over five continents, sparking revolution, controversy, creativity, commerce, and slavery along the way.