What is shade grown coffee?
Traditionally, all coffee was shade grown under canopies of nitrogen fixing shade trees that provided habitats for migratory birds. In 1972, new coffee hybrids were developed to increase productionÑbeans were smaller, easier to harvest, and tolerant of direct sunshine. The result was land stripped of trees (60% of the 6 million acres of coffee lands have been stripped of shade trees). “Sun” coffee is dependent on high doses of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. The same problems that plague mono-culture farms have followed the hybridized coffee beans: soil erosion, water runoff, soil depletion, and a decline (20%) in migratory bird populations due to habitat loss. Buying shade-grown coffee supports those small farmers who still grow by traditional methods.
