Birds, Environment & Coffee
November
Doing Your Duty to Help Songbirds posted 11-16-08
York University's Dr. Bridget Stutchbury, Canada research chair in ecology and conservation biology, points out that "If you go to a shade coffee plantation . . . you might see 30 or 40 species of migratory songbirds. If you go to a sun coffee plantation you might see two or three if you're lucky." Read more.
Add Shade-Grown to Your Green Checklist posted 11-16-08
Shade growing not only keeps the much needed animal habitat, but also lessens soil erosion, requires less pesticides,and lessens the plants’ vulnerability to climate changes. It’s a win-win…as long as the farmers can still make a decent living with less crop output. Read more.
Biodiversity Loss in Coffee Farms posted 11-16-08
Compared to forests, there are losses of ant and bird species in most coffee systems, with the exception of rustic shade coffee farms, which had equal or greater ant and bird species richness (number of species) than nearby forests. Read more.
October
Green Coffee-Growing Buffers Climate Change posted 10-25-08
University of Michigan researchers say shade-grown Latin American coffee will act as a buffer against the tide of climate change in the coming decades. Read more.
The Purchasing Power of Coffee Hounds posted 10-19-08
We can help protect the land and its people in coffee-growing regions by buying shade-grown products. Read more.
Recommended by Birds Everywhere posted 10-19-08
The canopy on shade grown coffee plantations makes natural habitat for migratory and tropical birds, plus countless other organisms, including reptiles, insects, butterflies and plants. Read more.
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Coffee Production
November
Shade Coffee Provides Additional Income posted 11-16-08
A fifth to a third of the total income from shaded coffee farms comes from non-coffee products. Read more.
Bird-Friendly Coffee Plantations Needed posted 11-16-08
Many traditional shade plantations are pruned to a single shade tree species and offer little in quality bird habitat. So coffee sold and packaged as shade grown must be monitored and then certified accordingly. Read more.
Is Shade Grown Coffee Really Bird Friendly? posted 11-16-08
Could it be, that the coffee boom that markets shade-grown coffee, does not actually promote the more bird friendly rustic plantations, but rather promotes more monocultures with Inga and Albizia, since such areas can still be regarded as shade-grown? Read more.
What KIND of Shade Grown? posted 11-16-08
The complex vertical structure of the rustic coffee environment, characterized by multiple layers of vegetation, has been correlated with high avian diversity. Read more.
October
Finca Santa Isabel - Tour a Coffee Plantation posted 10-25-08
The start of the tour is at the nursery where the new coffee plants are nurtured until they are big enough to be planted on the mountain. Read more.
Shade Trees Protect Coffee Crops posted 10-19-08
U.S. scientists say they've discovered traditional techniques offer promise for guarding against temperature and precipitation extremes in coffee crops. Read more.
One Cappuccino– Hold the Sun posted 10-19-08
Growing coffee in the shade may be the smartest way for small farmers to cope with global warming, according to research published in this month’s issue of BioScience. Read more.
Start with Small Farmers posted 10-19-08
By keeping their coffee farms well-forested, as well as by practicing sustainable farming methods, our producer partners are doing their part for the environment. Read more.
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Coffee Trade
November
Coffee Economics posted 11-16-08
The coffee world is a confusing place for the socially and environmentally conscious consumer. Read more.
Does Speciality Coffee Help or Hurt Farmers? posted 11-16-08
Shade-grown coffee reduces the major farming cost of insecticide, since shade trees harbor migratory birds and migratory birds feast on one of coffee’s biggest threats, the borer beetle. But the speciality coffee industry harbors a tangle of controversy. Read more.
October
Costa Coffee Moves to Rainforest Alliance Coffee Beans posted 10-19-08
Every cup of coffee sold by Costa, the UK's largest and fastest growing coffee shop chain, is now made with beans sourced from Rainforest Alliance certified farms. Read more.
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Coffee Certification
November
Do You Trust Coffee Certifications? posted 11-16-08
In the specialty coffee industry today there is much controversy about the virtues of the various forms of certification: the verifiability of organic; the economic viability of shade grown; the ability of Fair Trade to improve the coffee producer's lot. Read more.
Where Does Your Coffee Come From? posted 11-16-08
When you drink your coffee each morning do you drink it knowing that your cup is most likely grown in an irresponsible habitat destructive way? Read more.
October
Is Fair Trade all it's cracked up to be? posted 10-25-08
There is substantial overlap between fair-trade coffee and "bird friendly," shade-grown varieties – but one doesn't imply the other. Read more.
Is Shade-Grown Coffee the Drink of the Day? posted 10-19-08
Shade trees act as windbreaks during storms, reduce runoff and erosion, and shade farmers have greater water availability, partly due to low evaporation rates. Read more.
Deciphering Coffee Labels posted 10-19-08
What do all of these terms mean that are popping out at you at the grocery store? Read more.
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