Perfecto, I., J. Vandermeer, A. Mas, and L. Soto Pinto. 2005. Biodiversity, yield, and shade coffee certification. Ecological Economics 54:435-446. The more complex overstory (and thus shade) in a coffee plantation, the higher the diversity. However, the more shade, the…
Revised on October 26, 2010Certifications
In 2003, a number of important researchers debated the conservation value of promoting shade-grown coffee in the pages of the journal Conservation Biology. First Rappole et al. [1] wrote that if the result of promoting shade coffee resulted in the…
Revised on December 21, 2018There is no set definition of the term “shade grown.” Here are the two main certifications that deal with shade coffee.
Revised on January 7, 2022If it’s certified Fair Trade… Over 80% of the coffee certified Fair Trade in the U.S. (by TransFair USA) is also shade grown. Organizations that certify shade grown coffee are the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and the Rainforest Alliance. Nearly…
Revised on December 21, 2018Worldwide, habitat destruction is the leading cause of bird population declines and loss of biodiversity. The link between poverty and environmental degradation is inescapable. Making sure that coffee farmers receive a living wage is one way to help preserve habitat…
Revised on November 24, 2020