An update on the accelerating pace of land use for coffee growing in China and its environmental impact.
Background information
A guide to more information of interest to readers of my article “The True Cost of Coffee” in BirdWatching Magazine.
The February 2013 issue of BirdWatching Magazine (formerly Birder’s World) is in bookstores and other retailers now. It contains my article on the connection between coffee, birds, and biodiversity, The [...]
We may all be getting to know robusta a little better in the future. It seems fitting to offer a little introduction.
Multiple studies have shown that birders can well afford to drink sustainably-grown coffee that supports the birds they enjoy so much.
I put together a two-page PDF fact sheet on shade coffee and migratory birds for a couple of local events and to have on hand on our literature table at the Rouge River Bird Observatory. Feel free to download it…
In spite of what many people believe, Fair Trade certification alone does not automatically mean or guarantee that rigorous environmental standards were followed, or that the coffee was grown under shade. Here’s a summary of the Fair Trade environmental standards.
Not only is it time for us — birders — to acknowledge that our consumption is often in conflict with our professed beliefs and passions, it’s time to do something about it.
If you are one of the 160 million coffee drinkers in the U.S., you can make a decisive, positive impact on poverty by refusing to buy cheap grocery store coffee from Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Kraft, and Sara Lee.
I have updated my post covering botanical varieties of coffee with a link to James Hoffman’s family tree of coffee, and a table of coffee genotypes from a paper published in the Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology which I…
A summary table of the criteria used for shade certification by Rainforest Alliance, and Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (under the “Bird-Friendly” trademark).
“Sustainable coffee is produced on a farm with high biological diversity and low chemical inputs. It conserves resources, protects the environment, produces efficiently, competes commercially and enhances the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.”– Smithsonian Migratory…
(updated June 2009) Recently, the topic of shade coffee came up on the popular Internet bird list, BirdChat. I hope BirdChatters will have a look around Coffee & Conservation, beginning with some of the posts listed under “Overview” at left….
Coffee growing areas and biodiversity hotspots overlap, illustrating the importance of encouraging — through our purchasing power — coffee farms that preserve habitat.
Coffee is equipped with an excellent defense against herbivory: caffeine. Caffeine is one of many alkaloids that evolved in various plants to prevent them from being eaten by insects. Evolution doesn’t stand still, however, and some insects have fought back….
