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As Lynn Moseley and Ann Walter-Fromson made clear in their
presentation, “Shade Grown Coffee is for the Birds! Birds, Coffee, and
Conservation in Nicaragua”, on September 13, 2007, neotropical migrants –those birds
that come to North America to breed in the summer and then migrate to Central or
South America for the winter—depend upon forest habitat for survival on their
wintering grounds. Because so much of the neotropical forest has been cut down
to make way for monocultural sun coffee plantations, often the only suitable
habitat for migrating birds is that provided by coffee farms that grow coffee
the old-fashioned way under the shade of a tropical forest canopy. Neotropical
migrants include many birds whose arrival we look forward to each spring such as
warblers, tanagers, flycatchers, swallows, and wood thrushes.
As someone who cares about birds and the declining populations of neotropical migrants, you can help provide good winter habitat for migrating birds by learning about the issues and buying coffee that is grown in the shade. Most Fair Trade and organic coffee is shade-grown, but you need to read the labels and check the websites for coffee producers to be sure. Some coffee that is labeled “shade-grown’ is grown on manicured plantations with a single species of tree providing some shade cover. This kind of environment lacks the diversity of plants and other organisms that will support migrating birds.
Coffee certifications can provide some guidance for buying coffee that is grown sustainably. Coffee certified as Bird-Friendly (by Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center) comes from farms that have been inspected to ensure that the coffee is grown in ways that provide good habitat for birds and that are healthy for the environment (no chemical pesticides or fertilizers). Other certifications such as Rainforest Alliance have environmental criteria for growers, but coffee that qualifies for certification may not necessarily be grown in diverse shade. Country of origin is another consideration: Coffee from Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Bolivia, Papua New Guinea, and Ethiopia is more likely to be grown the traditional way under shade than coffee from countries that grow mostly sun coffee such as Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia or Vietnam. Some small farmers grow their coffee sustainably, but due to the expense and labor involved, are not shade certified. They may work with responsible roasters, such as Counter Culture Coffee in Durham, NC, that develop relationships with the growers and promote organic, shade grown, and fair trade practices.
You can find organic Fair Trade shade-grown coffee at several area stores including Earth Fare, The Fresh Market, Deep Roots, and Ten Thousand Villages. You can also order shade-grown organic coffee on-line.
Visit some of the websites below to learn more about coffee, birds, and conservation and to find out which coffee producers are doing the most to protect the environment and provide good habitat for the birds. Be an informed consumer, talk to friends and fellow birders, and buy shade-grown coffee – it’s the single most important thing you can do to ensure that migrating birds have good habitat on their wintering grounds.
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