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  • A Bird's World Referral
     
     

    Song Bird Friendly
    Standard Coffee Cultivation Practice

    Shade Grown Environment

    Sun Grown Environment

    Source: Songbird Foundation

    *Buy Coffee Now*

    Click Here for the TourTake the Smithsonian Slide Tour: The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center has an informative slide show on the current plight of songbird populations due to coffee cultivation.

    Simple, daily choices have a dramatic impact on our planet. The deforestation of song bird habitat for “sun-grown” coffee production in South and Central America has had a dramatic impact on song bird populations in these areas and subsequently in North America.

    Ask for shade grown brands of coffee which buy beans exclusively produced in “shade grown” environments. They are more expensive but after an analysis of the facts we think you’ll agree that the added costs are justified.

    Saving the extremely valuable rain forest refuges for nearly 150 species of  songbirds.

    • Preserve the ecology of our planet for future generations.
    • Create healthier workplaces for growers and their families.
    • Promote organic farming methods, reducing the need for pesticides and  herbicides.
    • Support other valuable crops along with coffee, such as fruit, avocados and cacao.
    • Nurture migratory bird survival for the enjoyment of all.
    Songbird Foundation
    Shade Grown Coffees

    Coffee Production: Shade Grown vs. Sun Grown

     

    Shade

    Sun

    Yield

    Lower (~ 25-40%)

    Higher

    Plants/Hectare

    1000-2000

    3000-7000

    Kg/Hct/yr

    550

    1600

    Lifetime of plants

    24-30 years

    12-15 years

    Side-Crops

    High

    Low/none

    Flavor

    Less bitter

    More bitter

    Who Produces?

    Mostly small-scale growers

    Mostly large-scale growers

    Biology

     

    Shade

    Sun

    # of bird species

    150

    20-50

    Proportion avifauna

    2/3

    ~1/10

    Mid-size mammals

    24 species

    almost none

    Other

    more species of ants, beetles, epiphytes, amphibians, & other species

    less species of ants, beetles, epiphytes, amphibians, & other species

    Other Considerations

     

    Shade

    Sun

    Weeding

    Lower

    Higher

    Chemical Fertilizers

    Lower

    Higher

    Pesticides

    Lower

    Higher

    Irrigation

    Lower

    Higher

    Soil Erosion

    Lower

    Higher

    Soil Acidification

    Lower

    Higher

    Toxic run-off

    Lower

    Higher

      Source: Seattle Audubon Society

    *Buy Coffee Now*