Growing Coffee in Shade Completes the Ecosystem Circle

It is true that different types of coffee can require different conditions (i.e. sun, altitude, moisture, temperature). Most large coffee plantations - which sell to the large coffee corporations - are in open fields, where the trees are easily accessible. But rather than clearing the land for coffee trees, we require that all Café Fair coffee is shade grown on trees grown within the naturally existing forests.

Here is why:

Shade Growing Supports Organic Farming Practices

Organic coffee farmers view the entire farm as one ecosystem, focusing on recycling, composting, and soil health, strictly avoiding the use of synthetic herbicides and dangerous pesticides. Because coffee trees grow well in shade, they work hand-in-hand with healthy organic farming practices.

Here's how shade grown coffee helps accomplish this.

Soil-Conservation: The soil of open-field coffee plantations are subject to erosion and deterioration. Coffee trees - especially young shrubs - do not have a root system extensive enough to sustain the soil against excessive wind and water erosion. The tree canopy of shade grown coffee provides a natural protection against soil erosion, protecting both the soil and the fragile root system of the coffee shrubs.

Soil Fertilization: The canopy above the shade grown trees provides a natural compost from the leaves. In addition, droppings from the many inhabitants
of the crown canopy (birds, rodents, monkeys, etc.) add valuable minerals and nutrients to the soil.

Insect Pest Control: The are a variety of insects which can devastate a tree plantation in no time, destroying not only that year's harvest, but the trees themselves. The canopy supports a wide range of bird species which eat these insects and naturally control this dangerous pest threat.

Supports Migratory Bird Populations: As mentioned, birds help control natural insect pests. But due to deforestation in much of Latin America and the Caribbean, bird populations have been devastated by the destruction of their habitats.

Resident and migratory birds have become more dependent upon the coffee farms in these regions for food and shelter. Buying shade grown coffee promotes biodiversity and encourages the maintenance of these increasingly important habitats.

Provides Longer Crop Yields: A coffee tree takes about 5 years before it will yield a crop (about a pound of coffee per tree annually). A typical tree will last about 15 years. Shade grown trees, however, will have a significantly longer lifespan, yielding crops for up to twice as long as sun-grown trees.