The New York Times Magazine published a well-written account about the ongoing illegal coffee growing in Sumatra’s Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. The article focuses on the Wildlife Conservation Society’s investigations into continued forest clearing in the park by small farmers who sell their coffee at rock-bottom prices to middlemen, who then sell to large…
Coffee regions
Update on coffee growing in China
An update on the accelerating pace of land use for coffee growing in China and its environmental impact.
Review: Caffe Vita YUS (PNG)
When you think of endangered species, I’ll bet you don’t think about Matschie’s Tree Kangaroos. Tree kangaroos and coffee also make an unlikely pairing. But I’m here to tell you that Seattle-based Caffe Vita has brought them together. We’ll start with the ‘roo. A kangaroo… Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is one of about 10…
Research: Puerto Rican shade coffee and biodiversity
Shade coffee in Puerto Rico: perception and reality.
The curse of the spud
Bugs, bacteria, and the potato defect in East African coffee. Very nerdy post.
Coffee growing in India
An overview of coffee growing regions, methods, and biodiversity in India, an origin not often offered in the U.S.
Climate change threatens east African coffee via borers
Some like it hot: The influence and implications of climate change on coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) and coffee production in east Africa. Jaramillo et al. 2011. PLoS One. An important new paper published this week outlines the threat posed by the expansion of coffee berry borers in east Africa due to climate change. This…
New Kenyan coffee varietal
Kenya has introduced a new high-yield, disease-resistant coffee varietal. Is it environmentally sustainable?
Cloud forest coffee at Finca El Jaguar
El Jaguar is the perfect combination of cloud forest reserve and coffee farm.
How “wild” is Ethiopian forest coffee?
How much Ethiopian coffee is grown in forests? Is it really coming from a pristine environment? Is this method of coffee production really preserving biodiversity?
Uganda’s wild coffee
A project to manage sustainable harvesting of coffee and provide income for local communities around a national park in Uganda failed, but the concept shouldn’t be abandoned.
Rainforest Alliance certifies coffee in Vietnam
An oversupply of coffee was one of the catalysts of the world coffee crisis in the 1990s, and most of it came from Vietnam. Vietnam increased production 1100% that decade, assisted by development agencies and large multinational coffee roasters. Nearly…
Coffee growing in China
Coffee grown in China is predominantly low-quality arabica used in instant coffee, grown in full sun using high chemical inputs, and the Chinese government is aggressively promoting the expansion of thousands of hectares of coffee production.
Nicaraguan shade coffee: Finca Esperanza Verde
My experiences on shade and bird diversity at Nicaragua’s Finca Esperanza Verde.
Bird-friendly Galapagos Island coffee
The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center has just announced that it has certified Hacienda El Cafetal coffee from the Galapagos Islands as Bird-Friendly, the most eco-friendly certification for coffee. Galapagos coffee has been on my “to try” list for quite awhile….