Bird Safe and Shade Grown Coffee (#)

  „Shade grown coffee benefits song birds who use it as a natural habitat, reduces the need for fertilizers and herbicides, and promotes biodiversification.  Unfortunately, the production of a shade grown estate is almost 1/3 that of a non-shaded 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 has as 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 has been debated heavily.  Until it is known if growing shade grown coffee is economically feasible, the trend towards technification will continue.“

http://www.coffeeresearch.org/politics/ birdsafe.htm - Cached

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CoffeeGeek - The Basics of Ethical Coffees

  „Shade Grown or Bird Friendly coffee refers to farms where trees are present above the coffee plants, providing a home for birds and other animals. A common technique for increasing yield of coffee is to remove the trees which grow above the plants or to clear the land and plant the coffee in rows. The drawback is that the birds and other animals which used to live in the area are forced to move.“

http://www.coffeegeek.com/opinions/cafestage/ 11-22-2002 - Cached

The Coffee Review - the world's leading coffee buying guide

  „Elsewhere arabica coffee is traditionally grown in full sun, or near full sun. The importance of maintaining shade canopies to supply habitat for migrating song birds in Central America has led to a controversial campaign by researchers at the Smithsonian Institute and their supporters to define "shade grown" in rather narrow terms (shade provided by mixed native trees) and label coffees grown under such a native canopy as "bird friendly." Farmers who traditionally have not grown coffee in shade but maintain extensive forest reserves on their land understandably object to the concept, as do those who use non-native trees to shade their coffee. On the other hand, shade grown coffees most definitely are much easier on the environment than sun grown coffees, and the better tasting traditional varieties of arabica, bourbon and typica, are, in Central America at least, best grown in shade.“

http://www.coffeereview.com/ glossary.cfm?alpha=b - Cached

Transfair USA | Press Releases

  „Unfortunately, the planting of full sun varieties usually requires the removal of shade trees, which has dramatically reduced habitat for birds and other wildlife. According to researchers from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Program, studies in Colombia and Mexico found 94-97% fewer bird species in sun grown coffee than in shade grown coffee. With today's introduction of Cafe Verde™ and Cafe Verde™ Decaf, the National Wildlife Federation and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters are joining forces to call attention to both environmental issues and the economic crisis that millions of small-scale coffee farmers are facing. Coffee prices are at historically low levels, below most farmers' costs of production.“

http://www.transfairusa.org/content/about/ pr_030507.php - Cached

International Coffee Organization

  „Wind-breaks are sometimes planted to protect coffee plantations; shade trees, which may be economic crops such as bananas, are a common feature and mimic the natural habitat of coffee.“

http://www.ico.org/acoff/ecology.htm - Cached

It's All About Coffee

  „While shade coffee is promoted as protecting tropical forests and birds, conservationists are split on whether it actually works. The December issue of Conservation Biology has the latest on the debate: one side says shade coffee can give farmers a reason to preserve tropical biodiversity while the other side fears it can actually encourage farmers to clear more forest.“

http://www.aboutcoffee.net/ 2003_11_23_bcearc.html - Cached

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