JulieCraves

Research on coffee growing

Research: Leaf-cutting ants do not harvest coffee leaves in shade farms

Varon, E. H., S. D. Eigenbrode, N. A. Bosque-Perez, and L. Hilje. 2007. Effect of farm diversity on harvesting of coffee leaves by the leaf-cutting ant Atta cephalotes. Agriculture and Forest Entomology 9:47-55. Leaf-cutting ants, which are common in the tropics, cut pieces of live leaves and carry them to underground burrows where they are used to raise a fungus, which is the food of the ants.

The types of leaves these ants harvested were studied on Costa Rican coffee farms which varied in the diversity of tree species present.  In sun coffee monocultures, the proportion of coffee leaves harvested was highest, at 40% of total biomass.  It was under 1% in farms with complex shade, and the ants preferred shade tree species over coffee when given the choice in trials.

Leaf-cutting ants can consume 12 to 17% of leaf production in an area,and can defoliate coffee plants if there are not preferred alternatives. Damage to coffee plants by these ants is minimized by the availability of a diversity of shade trees.

Photo of Atta cephalotes by Scott Bauer. USDA Agricultural Research Service.

Birds and other biodiversity

Saving the Cerulean Warbler campaign

I last wrote about the Cerulean Warbler and shade coffee in August 2006, when the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) announced they would be working with coffee growers to  preserve critical wintering habitat around the new 500-acre Cerulean Warbler Bird Reserve in the Rio ChucurÁ­ basin of Santander department, Colombia.

ABC, along with their Bird Conservation Alliance network, has now announced a full-fledged to raise US$100,000 to purchase habitat, train and equip forest guards and local ecotourism guides, and improve reserve infrastructure. The conservation plan is looking to purchase over 1,500 acres currently owned by nearly 20 different owners; some of the land is shade coffee farms. All properties in the reserve will be owned and managed by ProAves Colombia, the major conservation organization there.

You can donate directly, purchase the posh Cerulean Warbler postage stamps, or buy Cerulean Warbler Conservation Coffee, offered by Thanksgiving Coffee Company, roaster of the Songbird Coffee line discussed here.

Although some of the promotional material indicates that the coffee comes from shade plantations that are part of or are adjacent to the Cerulean Warbler Bird Reserve in Santander, it is sourced from COOPERAN, a cooperative in southwestern Antioquia province (A on map, dot is co-op area). The aforementioned reserve is about 180 miles away within the Serrania de los Yariguies Important Bird Area (S on map, dot is Reserve).

Although it is a different location, this area is also important to Cerulean Warblers, as well as the endangered Yellow-eared Parrot (below), and other North American migrants. The very endangered Gorgeted Wood-Quail, another target species, is not found in the area where the coffee is sourced, but is found in the Reserve.

Santander has more extensive shade coffee farms versus Antioquia, which has only about 10% in typica varieties grown by traditional shade methods [1,2].  Thanksgiving Coffee sources its other Colombian coffees from the same co-op (although it is not labeled shade-grown), so they are apparently building on an existing relationship. A page (in Spanish) on the ProAves site notes that COOPERAN farmers are sharing their experience with farmers from the Reserve region.

There are 4,600 members in the COOPERAN cooperative.  One subgroup in the co-op mentioned as a Thanksgiving source was represented in the 2005 Cup of Excellence competition. I found information on one of the Los Sauces farm, El Clavel, which states the coffee there is 30% shade grown. ABC reassured that the Colombian conservation partner ProAves visits the farm(s) to make sure that the coffee is grown under shade.

Support of this campaign is highly worthwhile. Although the coffee does not come from the official Reserve, there is arguably more need for encouraging shade coffee farming in Antioquia, where less than 3% of the native forest remains. Just $1.50 of each bag of coffee goes to ABC, so don’t forget to donate directly to help purchase habitat.

Cerulean Warbler Technical Group el Grupo Cerleo page.

More on the partnership with COOPERAN (also in Spanish).

[1] Colorado, G., and T. Cuadros. 2006.  Geographic distribution and habitat use by Cerulean Warbler in natural vegetation and agro-ecosystems of northern Colombia. Final report to Nature Conservancy and USFWS. Medellin, Colombia.  56 pp.

[2] Armenteras, D., A. RincÁ³n, and N. Ortiz. 2005. Ecological Function Assessment in the Colombian Andean Coffee-growing Region. Sub-global Assessment Working Paper. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, United Nations.

Certifications

Biodynamic farming: flim-flam alert

Every so often when I am researching a coffee farm to determine if their methods preserve biodiversity, I come across one that uses “biodynamic” farming methods; some are even certified by the Demeter Association.

What the hell is biodynamic farming?

Biodynamic farming includes many of the concepts of organic farming and is based on the anthroposophical teachings of Rudolf Steiner, a philosopher and “social tinkerer.”  In the biodynamic view, the farm as a whole is seen as an organism, with heavy emphasis on the spiritual/holistic aspect.

For instance, planting of crops is done according to cosmic rhythms to enhance, for example, pest control by blocking the fertility influences of particular planets on particular pests.  The life forces of a farm are said to be strengthened by creating various homeopathic-like preparations (e.g., derived from flower blossoms stuffed into deer urinary bladders which have been placed in the sun during summer, buried in earth during winter and retrieved in the spring).  These are then placed in compost piles or manure. According to the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, “These preparations bear concentrated forces within them and are used to organize the chaotic elements within the compost piles.”  Using these preparations is required for Demeter certification, and the certification standards are built around the elaborate development of these concoctions.

A study published in the journal of the Soil Science Society of America (64:1651-1659) comparing soils fertilized with biodynamic versus nonbiodynamic compost found no differences in the various soil biotic parameters measured.  Another paper, in the Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, concluded that “Steiner’s instructions are occult and dogmatic and cannot contribute to the development of alternative or sustainable agriculture.”

While many of the organic aspects of biodynamic farming are positive, biodynamic certification is mostly meaningless and basically a marketing ploy. Considering that farms pay a $470 fee ($310 a year for renewals) plus annual inspection fees and a 0.5% royalty on gross sales, the most notable thing biodynamic certification adds to coffee is cost.

Coffee regions

Coffee growing in Costa Rica

Costa Rica, more than any other Central American country, has embraced technified sun coffee. The National Costa Rican Institute of Coffee (ICAFE) notes that 30% of coffee grown in the country is sun coffee. Not only is a 30% rate high, but it is misleading.  Coffee grown under only a single tree species, widely distributed across a farm, qualifies as “shade coffee” in Costa Rica.  In fact, all 70% of coffee not classified sun coffee can be marketed as shade coffee, but this is clearly not the kind of shade that preserves biodiversity.

Throughout the country, and especially in the Central Valley, coffee is grown in full sun, or under a single tree species. Most often this is Poro (Erythrina poeppigiana which is not native to Costa Rica) pruned to under 4 meters with only one or two branches. Bird surveys found that these Poro and coffee farms are poor avian habitat, with low species richness and few Neotropical migrants. Other farms use bananas or other fruit trees, non-native Eucalyptus, or timber trees such as Amarillon (Terminalia amazonia). Bird surveys in the Central Valley found that the highest number of species found at any farm (all were considered “shade”) was similar to the paltry number found in full sun farms in Mexico and Guatemala.

According to ICAFE, 90% of Costa Rica’s crop has gone over to the short, high-yielding, sun tolerant varieties caturra and cataui, as well as some catimor, all considered by experts to be lower quality than typica and bourbon varieties.

It can be difficult to identify farms that use sustainable methods, because coffees in Costa Rica are most often identified by broad region, or by a brand used by a mill (beneficio), and not the name of a farm. Over 90% of Costa Rican coffee farms are under 5 hectares, and small producers are required to sell to a beneficio.  For example, the intensively marketed Café Britt company roasts 2-3 million pounds of coffee a year, and buys from farms in Tarrazu, Tres Rios, and the Central Valley.  Their main facility near Heredia, where they hold their famous tours, is on a former coffee farm, but this is primarily for show (the “campesinos” who guide the tourists around Café Britt’s operations are played by professional actors).  Here’s a photo of Cafe Britt’s “shade” coffee.

Research from Costa Rica also found that pesticides used on coffee (and banana) farms are being transported in the atmosphere into cloud forests, including montane areas far away from plantations. They accumulate there, and may be contributing to the drastic declines of amphibians in these areas.  One of the most common pesticides found was endosulfan, commonly used on coffee.  This is relevant because the high-yield varieties of coffee that are grown in low shade systems, which are common in Costa Rica, nearly always use high levels of chemical inputs, and the paper [1] notes that “The use of plant protection products per hectare is higher in Costa Rican agriculture than in most industrialized countries.”

Because of their pooled coffee system and dedication to high-yield technified production, it is very difficult to be assured your Costa Rican coffee is truly sustainable.  There are no Smithsonian Bird-Friendly certified farms or co-ops in Costa Rica, that should tell you something.  I know a number of University of Michigan graduate students who have done thesis work on coffee farms in Costa Rica, and they have all told me there is very little true shade in the farms.  You are better off buying coffee from other Central American countries, especially El Salvador and Nicaragua.

If you buy Costa Rican coffee, look for a high percentage of older varieties such as bourbon and typica, and certified organic beans — these will all be less likely to be highly technified, as they are more difficult to grow in the sun. Some co-ops/beneficios or companies might indicate that they preserve native forest near production areas.  This is a positive sign.  This year, Costa Rica will also be joining the Cup of Excellence competition.  This means individual farms will be competing, and consumers will be able to read detailed farm profiles and learn about growing methods.  That will be helpful as well.

Here is the scoop on a few popular brands of Costa Rican coffee …

  • La Minita (Tarrazu). Family-owned farm (and mill) with nearly 700 acres in production, mostly caturra. Uses Poro in “varying density” for shade. The best thing that can be said is that it is a family owned estate that has 200 acres in natural forest that will never be converted.  Does not use herbicides or pesticides. (More on La Minita in my post on coffee at Panera Bread.)
  • Thanksgiving Coffee’s Costa Rican Songbird is obtained through Sustainable Harvest coffee importers.  Probably a decent bet that this is technically “shade grown” (as the Costa Ricans describe it), or perhaps even more substantial, given the commitment of the importer and roaster.
  • Hacienda La Amistad, adjacent to the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve and Park.  The family has kept much of it (10,000 hectares) as natural forest. Certified organic, caturra and catuai varieties, grown under Poro.
  • Café Britt.  See above. See also this post by a U.S. roaster who visited Costa Rica and was not impressed with the coffee.
  • Doka Estate. I’ve occasionally seen this advertised as shade coffee, and perhaps the organic section of the property has a little more shade, but in general another sunny location.  You can see the near total lack of shade trees in this travel account,
  • Cafe Cristina is a (truly) small shade coffee farm with direct ordering. The owners, whom I met at a conference, have worked with bird researchers and birders.

An excellent resource on Central Valley coffee growing and biodiversity is Sandra Znajda’s York University Master’s thesis, “Habitat conservation, avian diversity, and coffee agrosystems in southern Costa Rica.” Try searching online.

[1] Daly, G. et al. 2007. Accumulation of current-use pesticides in Neotropical montane forests. Environ. Sci. Technol.41:1118—1123.