January 2006

Research on coffee growing

Research: Epiphytes in coffee plantations

These two recent papers looked at epiphytes (plants that grow on others, but are not parasitic, such as orchids or bromeliads) in coffee plantations — whether shade coffee plantations preserved epiphyte biodiversity, and whether epiphytes were important to birds. Under shade-grown coffee certification, the pruning or removal of epiphytes is discouraged.

Hietz, P.  2005.  Conservation of vascular epiphyte diversity in Mexican coffee plantations. Conservation Biology 19:391-399.

This study surveyed nine shade coffee plantations in Mexico and found 89 species of epiphytes in the plantations, and 104 in natural forests.  Plantations with smaller trees and less shade had fewer epiphytes.

Cruz-Angon, A. and R. Greenberg. 2005.  Are epiphytes important for birds in coffee plantations? An experimental assessment.  Journal of Applied Ecology 42:150-159.

Plots in which epiphytes were intact and plots in which they were removed were compared in the breeding and non-breeding seasons.  When epiphytes are removed, canopy cover, foraging locations, nest sites, and nest materials are eliminated and microclimate changes.

This study found that plots without epiphytes had less bird diversity. Eighteen forest bird species were significantly more abundant in plots with epiphytes, and resident species that used epiphytes for nesting were more abundant in these plots as well. Three non-forest bird species were more abundant in plots without epiphytes.

Coffee regions

One Thousand Hills (Rwanda): the PEARL project

“One Thousand Hills” Rwandan coffee, available through Michigan State University. MSU’s Institute of International Agriculture’s project PEARL — Partnership to Enhance Agriculture in Rwanda through Linkages — is helping Rwandans after the 1994 genocide rebuild by organizing coffee cooperatives, and teaching them skills in coffee production and marketing.  A portion of each sale goes back to PEARL. The genocide resulted in plantations being abandoned, and in many cases widowed women left to try to earn a living.  The cooperatives producing One Thousand Hills are 30 to 50% women.

Unfortunately, PEARL is funded by USAID, and the project has recently had its budget cut in half.  Read more about this crisis and steps being taken to insure the livelihoods of Rwandan coffee farmers — and our enjoyment of Rwandan coffee — can continue at portafilter.net.

Rwandan coffee has never been particularly notable (Rwandans being tea drinkers themselves), without much adherence to quality control. PEARL offered expertise in all aspects of sorting, washing, processing, and cupping, vastly improving the quality of the coffee.

Grown on small farms, in mountainous regions. Bourbon varietal. Medium roast, a clean, bright, smooth cup that I enjoyed very much.  Fair Trade.

Birds and other biodiversity / Research on coffee growing

Research: Shade grown coffee and orchids

Solis-Montero, L., A. Flores-Palacios, and A. Cruz-Angon.  2005.  Shade-coffee plantations as refuges for tropical wild orchids in central Veracruz, Mexico.  Conservation Biology 19:908-916.

This paper in the journal Conservation Biology reports that shade coffee plantations in Mexico provide refuge for orchids from lower montane cloud forest habitats — the most endangered forest type in the country, now comprising only 1% of Mexico’s land.

The magazine of the American Orchid Society published a similar article years ago:

Nir, M.A. 1988. The survivors: orchids on a Puerto Rican coffee finca.  American Orchid Society Bulletin 57:989-995.

Retail and specialty roasters / Starbucks

Starbucks and Conservation International

Starbucks entered into a partnership with Conservation International in 1998, an alliance also supported by USAID (unfortunately known to finance many projects promoting sun coffee).  Here is a short history of some of the results of that partnership:

In late 1999, Starbucks introduced a shade-grown coffee grown in Chiapas, Mexico that was part of their partnership with Conservation International (CI), which “promotes practices such as water and soil conservation, crop diversification, and chemical fertilizer and pesticide reduction.”  In addition to buying the beans, Starbucks also “provides financial support to the project and offers technical advice to farmers to raise the quality of their coffee.”

In 2001, Starbucks announced new purchasing guidelines it had developed with CI, which award points to suppliers based on sustainability categories. Suppliers with higher points receive a preference from Starbucks.  Starbucks will also pay a premium of up to  ten cents a pound to suppliers who meet sustainability guidelines.  At the time, Starbucks was reportedly paying an average of $1.20 a pound for coffee, which is still below the typical $1.26 per pound Fair Trade minimum.

It is worth mentioning that these sustainability categories are not strictly environmental, but are also based on quality, social conditions, and economic benefits to the communities.  They do mention shade and chemical reduction, but do not impose any enforceable guidelines for shade management or organic farming methods.

In 2003, Starbucks launched a Colombian coffee that was the result of their partnership with CI and the Colombian Coffee Federation, with stated goal “to promote coffee production methods that protect biodiversity and, at the same time, allow coffee farmers to improve their livelihood.” Starbucks also provides substantial financial support to other CI coffee field projects.

The measures Starbucks is taking on environmentally-friendly coffee are not comprehensive.  The CI guidelines are a start, but lack the strong certification for organic or shade-grown farming practices that are needed to truly protect biodiversity. Their efforts are appreciated, and if customers demand it, perhaps they will continue to improve their commitment both to Fair Trade and the environment.

Birds and other biodiversity / Research on coffee growing

Research: Ant diversity in coffee plantations

These two recent papers discuss the diversity and role of ants in coffee plantations, and how the growing method (sun versus shade) impacts these ants.  Ants are vital in ecosystems.  In tropical forests, there are entire groups of birds (known collectively as “ant birds”) that are completely dependent on swarms of army ants, which they follow in order to prey on insects flushed by the ants.  Even more birds are closely or loosely associated with army ant swarms.  Coffee growing methods that decrease ant diversity can have a profound impact on other biodiversity in tropical forests.

Armbrecht, I., L. Rivera, and I. Perfecto.  2005. Reduced diversity and complexity in the leaf-litter ant assemblage of Colombian coffee plantations. Conservation Biology 19: 897-907.

This study looked at ants along a gradient of intensification of coffee production, from organic shaded coffee with mixed types of shade cover (“polygeneric”) to unshaded sun coffee. The plantations utilizing organic shaded polygeneric methods had ant populations that most resembled natural forest.  As the method of coffee production intensified (went from complex shaded systems to simple sun systems), ant diversity decreased.

Roberts, D.L., R. J. Cooper, and L. J. Petit.  2005. Use of premontane moist forest and shade coffee agrosystems by army ants in western Panama. Conservation Biology 19: 192-199.

Two species of army ants were studied, and found in natural forest and in shade coffee plantations, including those not close to natural forest, but not in sun coffee plantations. In sun coffee plantations, there was less leaf litter for ants to forage and fewer places for the ants to set up “bivouacs” (resting places).