In fact, Fair Trade certification has no criteria related to growing
coffee under shade, it does not require organic certification, it contains no guidelines for management of native or non-native species, it does not require any inventory of wildlife or prohibit hunting or trafficking in animals.
Not exact matches
This
coffee is grown at an altitude between 3,200 and 3,900 feet,
under shade trees, with orange and tangerine trees planted People: Arabica
coffee farmers in Kintamani are organized into traditional groups called Subak Abian.
One study suggests arthropod diversity alone — wasps, beetles, spiders, ants — found on a single tree species in
shade - grown
coffee plantations approximates that found
under similar conditions in undisturbed tropical forest.
Under this renovation scheme, Moringa will pay the approximately $ 4,000 per hectare in renovation costs, making use of the new and advanced
coffee varieties developed and sold locally by ECOM (H1 and H3 hybrids, and Marsellesa) and plant timber and
shade trees.
For example, 81 % of the
coffee in Nicaragua and El Salvador grew
under a
shade canopy in 1996, and although recent surveys document declines in
shade tree diversity since then, these declines mostly occurred on larger farms; in contrast, many smallholder cooperatives preserve high levels of biodiversity, including more than 100 species of
shade trees on fewer than 30 farms (Méndez et al. 2010a).
On the other hand, there are also
coffees marketed as «
shade grown» that may not be grown
under any sort of measurable criteria.
Cacao farms look after biodiversity, growing cacao beans
under the
shade of rainforest trees alongside crops like avocados, pineapples, bananas and
coffee.
If this conversion occurs, will robusta be grown
under shade, or will
shaded arabica
coffee plantations or forests be replaced by robusta grown in sun monocultures?
Unfortunately, so are some
coffees that are grown
under conditions that might not be best for biodiversity, such as
shaded monoculture, or conceivably even in full sun, if a retailer or distributor were particularly, um, «shady.»
All the Song Bird
Coffees I investigated do appear to be sourced from areas that typically do grow
under shade.
The
coffee is
shade grown,
under a semi-open canopy of fruit and forest trees.
Many farms might,
under the revised criteria, be able to cut back
shade (even if not due to contingencies like rust - epidemic), which may not help biological diversity or the ideas behind
shade - grown
coffee that sustainability certification was meant to address.
Where it is viable to grow
coffee or cocoa
under a
shade canopy, this is strongly encouraged and can fulfill criterion 2.5.
I recently reviewed a paper, Field - testing ecological and economic benefits of
coffee certification programs, that included a nifty summary table of the criteria used for
shade certification by Rainforest Alliance, and Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (
under the «Bird - Friendly» trademark).
The page indicates that there are about 75 large trees per hectare which add to the leaf litter of the
coffee plants, and there is a photo of
coffee growing
under shade in their photo gallery.
Unlike arabica
coffee, which can (and is, in much of Mexico) grown as an agroforestry crop
under mixed
shade, robusta is grown in the sun and will require the clearing of valuable lowland forests, no doubt substantial amounts of fertilizer and pesticides, and cause collateral environmental damage.
Because a number of common
coffee pests and pathogens are more difficult to control naturally when the
coffee is grown in the sun, it's often a good bet that organic
coffee is also grown
under shade.
Like
coffee, cocoa can be cultivated
under the
shade of native canopy trees within landscapes similar to natural forest.
Coffee grown
under native
shade trees is a perfect fit for this goal.
Considering that a number of Caribou offerings are from Africa and Asia, which are not eligible for
shade certification and which often are grown
under shade as a matter of course, this means that well over half of Caribou's
coffees will represent
shade coffees, in one shape or form.
The only other
coffees on the site I see labeled
shade grown are the Panama Bambito which is in an area where much of the
coffee is grown
under good
shade plus they have 5 ha of forest (I've been in that area, too), and the Ecuadorian
coffee.
Three were Smithsonian Bird - Friendly certified
coffees, others were not certified, but grown
under various levels of
shade.
Since taste is probably the ultimate catalyst for a
coffee purchase, diluting the «
shade coffee» market with potentially lower quality beans not actually grown
under shade may potentially lower market demand for
shade coffee.
Organic
coffee is often grown
under a canopy of
shade, and
shade - grown
coffee tends to ripen more slowly.
Bird Friendly certified organic
coffees grow
under biodiverse
shade that provides critical habitat for migratory songbirds and other wildlife, sequesters carbon and fights climate change.
About 95 percent of this
coffee is grown
under some type of
shade, providing important opportunities for the conservation of biodiversity.
In the early 1970s, almost all
coffee production in El Salvador was
under shade and most of it was organic.
In the
coffee producing countries of Latin America, growing organic
coffee and cocoa
under shade can have a major impact on biodiversity.
Shade is conducive to
coffee rust as compared to full sun exposure
under standardized fruit load conditions
The U.S. has two separate
shade certification systems intended to ensure that Latin American
shade - grown
coffee is produced
under a set of scientific guidelines.
More than 1,500
coffee bushes grow
under the avocado trees, which help alleviate irrigation demands and provide the
shade that
coffee needs, along with frost - free winters and mild summer mornings.
Like
coffee, cocoa can be cultivated
under the
shade of native canopy trees within landscapes similar to natural forest.
Tucked into a corner of the backyard, this stone patio outfitted with vintage metal seating and a hand - me - down
coffee table is a serene spot for lazing around with a book
under the pleasant
shade of two mature trees.