Coffee for Conservation
Photo: siamjava1995/Flickr.com
For many people the day doesn’t begin until their first cup of coffee. This habit hits more than just our wallets: Coffee is traditionally grown in the shade provided by tropical forest canopies; however, much of this shade-grown coffee is being cleared and replaced with sun plantations (where the coffee is grown without the canopy).
Though they have higher yields compared with shade-grown crops, sun plantations require more synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, which, combined with clearing of the canopy, lead to soil degradation and the release of heat-trapping gases that contribute to global warming. The loss of forest canopy also decimates biodiversity; for example, some 150 bird species have been reported on Central American shade farms, but less than half that number are found on sun plantations.
Fortunately, you don’t have to give up your morning joe—look for one or more of the labels below to help ensure your coffee (whether brewed at home or at a coffee shop) has a less harmful impact on the environment, tropical biodiversity, and coffee workers.
Shade-Grown: Supporting shade-grown coffee provides businesses with an incentive to reduce or avoid deforestation. Shade plantations store more carbon than sun-plantations, meaning they do more to slow climate change. There is no official definition of “shade-grown,” but the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center offers the most rigorous certification: its “Bird Friendly” label requires a minimum of 40 percent shade cover as well as organic certification.
Organic: Coffee bearing the “USDA Organic” seal meets the requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program. Organic coffee must be grown without the use of synthetic chemicals and in accordance with strict practices that prevent soil erosion. Most (though not all) organic coffee is also grown using some degree of shade.
Fair Trade: This label indicates that coffee farmers receive a fair price for their harvest, allowing them to keep land that might otherwise be cleared for development. Fair Trade-certified coffee also meets basic environmental standards such as limited chemical use, but it is not required to be shade-grown or organic.
