Jan 03 2010
Bird Friendly and Shade Grown Coffee
Rogers’ Shade Grown & Organic Coffee Helps Protect the Environment
All of the coffee we buy and roast is 100% Arabica coffee grown on bio-diverse farms under a canopy of rainforest-preserving shade trees at an elevation over 3000 ft, and a very large percentage of that is grown on certified organic farms. Shade grown and organic farming methods make for healthier soil, prevent water contamination and provide habitat for dozens of species of migratory birds. They also make for an excellent cup of coffee.
We never buy coffee from farms where the farmers have slashed and burned their fields to allow for full-sun penetration. This makes for higher coffee yields but badly damages the sensitive ecosystems of the tropical highland rainforests where coffee is grown. Shade grown coffee grown on bio-diverse farms, on the other hand, creates a more complex, high quality cup of coffee and maintains sensitive ecosystems.
Formal Certification versus Environmental Reality
We want to stress that our green coffee purchasing approach is to source the highest quality coffee we can find while providing direction for and encouragement of sustainable coffee farming methods. Whether a partner farm is formally certified organic, shade grown, or fair trade certified, what matters most to us is the ecological reality of the farm, its commitment to environmental stewardship, and the way it treats its workers from the surrounding communities.
Shade grown coffee benefits song birds who use the coffee plant as a natural habitat, reduces the need for fertilizers and herbicides, and promotes bio diversification.
Unfortunately, the production of a shade grown coffee estate is almost 1/3 that of a non-shaded coffee farm. Therefore, there is an alarming trend towards technification or the planting of new hybrids in organized fields to maximize profits.
Approximately 150 bird species live on farms of shade grown coffee, whereas non-shaded coffee supports s few as 20-50 species. Between 1980 and 1994 the songbird populations have steadily decreased. There are 70% fewer Tennessee Warbles, 30% fewer Baltimore Orioles, and 50% less Cape May Warbles due in part to technification.
However, these numbers and the causes for the decrease in bird populations have been debated heavily. Until it is decided that growing shade grown, bird friendly coffee is economically feasible, the trend towards technification will continue.
Beyond the benefit that shade can provide to migratory birds, shade grown coffee often tastes better. The shade has a similar effect on coffee as growing coffee at high altitudes. Both of these factors slow down the growth of a coffee which results in the production of more sugars and chemicals responsible for the perceived acidity in coffee.
