Bird friendly coffee

Trouble is Brewing

for Neotropical migrants wintering in

shade coffee plantations

We tend to think of human-altered landscapes, particularly agricultural ones, as bad news for birds. But traditionally-grown coffee plantations in Latin America offer refuge for over 150 species of birds, according to the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Only undisturbed forests harbor more species. This is because traditionally-grown coffee provides diverse habitat that counters what we usually think of when we hear the In traditional coffee plantations, coffee bushes are grown in the shade, under a forest canopy. Up to 60 tree species are used to provide shade for the coffee;

these species provide nitrogren or supply fruit or wood for the growers. For the coffee, the overstory protects the bushes from the weather, and provides organic mulch that cuts down weed species and maintains the quality of the soil.

Unfortunately, over the last two decades as demand for coffee has increased, farmers have been converting to "sun coffee," which produces larger yields. The elimination of the canopy not only produces a coffee monoculture which is not as appealing to birds, but requires intensive management. This includes the use of more pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. The bushes also need to be replaced more often than bushes grown in the shade, as weather and erosion take their toll.

Over 2.7 million hectares (6.7 million acres) of land are used for coffee growing in northern Latin America, where most of our migratory birds spend the winter. Increasing percentages of this acreage is being coverted to sun coffee: from 17% in Mexico, 40% in Costa Rica, to 69% in Colombia.

This loss of shade coffee forest has a big impact on bird populations, with 94 to 97% fewer bird species in sun coffee plantations versus shade coffee areas. This includes not only native species, but large numbers of seasonal visitors that breed in North America and winter in the tropics.

Because much of the winter season is dry in the tropics, shade coffee plantations offer a moist sanctuary with a high diversity of insect and nectar resources. Sun coffee plantations host fewer canopy lovers like the Tennesee and Black-throated Green Warblers, moist understory species such as the Ovenbird and Wood Thrush, and scrub-shrub birds like the Gray Catbird and Yellow-breasted Chat.

With nearly half of the cropland in Latin America devoted to coffee, the preservation and encouragement of shade-grown coffee offers an important conservation opportunity. Consumers in the United States purchase about one-third of the world's coffee, the third most common import. Therefore, American consumers can use their purchasing power to influence coffee management techniques and help preserve critical bird habitat.

Further Resources:
Coffee and Conservation blog -- great information, resources, links, and reviews!
Coffee, Conservation, Commerce, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Position Paper
Sustainable Coffee Criteria, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Position Paper

We recommend these sources for environmentally-friendly coffee:

Counter Culture Coffee -- Works with farmers around the world; especially check out their excellent organic selection. We recommend their Peru Norte, Guatemale Huehuetenango, and their exclusive Honduras El Puente.

Sweetwater Organic Coffee Roaster -- Lists the sources of each coffee, all organic, plus carries shade or Bird Friendly selections. We recommend their Morning Glory blend, Colombia Mesa de los Santos, and Deep Roots blend.

Created 25 July 97 by Julie Craves

Updated 30 Oct 2006

Rouge River Bird Observatory,

Environmental Interpretive Center., University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI 48128