Shade-Grown Coffee is for the Birds!
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 13th, 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 that is labeled Song Bird Coffee (by the American Birding
Association), certified as Bird-Friendly (by Smithsonian Migratory Bird
Center), or is certified by the Rainforest Alliance (as are Audubon
coffees) comes from farms that have been inspected to ensure that the
coffee is grown in ways that provide good habitat for birds, are healthy
for the environment (no chemical pesticides or fertilizers), and ensure
that farm workers are paid a fair wage for their labor.
You can find organic Fair Trade shade-grown coffee at several area
stores including Earth Fare, Deep Roots, Ten Thousand Villages, and
Tobacco USA. You can also order shade-grown organic coffee on-line.
Visit some of these websites 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.
Information on where to buy shade-grown coffee:
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