I have gone through many bags, containers of coffee—all kinds of brands, roasts and flavors. Only today I saw a brand new kind of coffee (Shade-grown), it appealed to me because not only was it fair trade and organic but it had a beautiful design of an Amazonian bird alluding to the fact that it is helping towards the ecosystem and environment of wildlife and animals. I bought it and decided to investigate more about this new kind of Coffee- or perhaps I am the one that is coming in late to this revolution, because I am sure to start seeing this everywhere- and hope so if the cause is as great as it appears! Like always I decided to go to my trusty news source for all things coffee- Daily Coffee News and bam! there it was an article from April of this year— Envisioning the Future of Shade Grown Coffee which states that
” As we consider the future of coffee, we should consider shade grown coffee in terms of viability and sustainability. Coffee should be grown within a landscape incorporating shade trees when, and where, it is viable, both environmentally and economically — including considerations such as elevation, temperature, and slope, etc. — while also conserving forested areas, protecting watersheds and highly erodible hillside areas, and practicing selective and regulated harvesting of trees for fiber, fuel, and lumber for the surrounding communities.”
There are various positive components regarding the evolution of Shade-grown coffee— for starters the effect of shade-grown coffee can be of higher quality, according to certain consumers believe that the shade may provide a slower fruit maturation causing for the sugar development to be a lot more complex- better.
To further educate myself on this new third-wave coffee system, I looked up another website where they give more information to the public on how much this system is helping wildlife and the environment: on Earth Easy- Shade Grown Coffee we are provided with various facts and studies:
Helps Sustain Rainforests
“Coffee plantations which are chemically dependent suffer from soil depletion and increased erosion. Rainforest is stripped to provide fresh growing ground. Shade coffee farms are, for the most part, organic and sustainable.”
Promotes a Healthier Environment
“Shade grown coffee requires little or no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. The shade trees filter carbon dioxide which causes global warming, and aid in soil moisture retention which minimizes erosion.”
Provides Bird Habitat and Greater Biodiversity
“Migrating bird populations have been in rapid decline since the introduction of “sun” coffee and the consequent destruction of rainforest for more coffee plantations. As many as 150 species of birds have been identified on shade coffee farms.”
For the Love of Coffee 