Shade Grown

Coffee is native to the high-mountain forests of Ethiopia. In its pristine birthplace, coffee grows low on the forest floor, shaded by the tall trees that make up the forest canopy. It is in these conditions that the coffee plant thrives. In this natural setting coffee receives the ideal ratio of sun to shade, protecting the plants from the sun’s intense rays while still allowing enough sun from the plant to grow and develop. This situation is not only healthy for the coffee tree but also for the entire forest by allowing the natural balance of a variety of plant, animal, and insect species.

Unfortunately, modern agricultural practices are not concerned with creating the ideal environment for the plant or its ecosystem. Common agricultural methods such as ‘mono-cropping’, the planting of a single type of crop rather than a diverse balance in one area, are geared more toward maximum yield and profit, not quality.

Coffee grown on large estates are often planted in long rows, very close together. Obviously, coffee does not grow this way naturally so the plants require large amounts of pesticides and herbicides to thrive.

In addition to providing shade to the coffee, large trees prevent soil erosion as well as helping the soil retain nutrients. Shade trees are often nut, banana, pineapple, or other crops that can provide additional food and income for the farmer.

Probably the most publicized reason the shade grown coffee is beneficial is that the high canopy trees are a vital habitat to migratory birds. Many species of birds (as well as countless mammals and insects) require trees for their habitat. While residing in the trees, these birds are an effective pest-control for the trees and the coffee plants, lessening the need for chemical pesticide. The practice of clear cutting forest for grazing land or mono-crop agriculture has virtually destroyed the habitats of living things of all kinds from birds, to humans, to ants. Nowhere has this been more evident than in Central America.

Because Central America is relatively narrow, a dramatic loss of tree cover has made it increasingly difficult for the millions of migratory birds that travel through that region twice yearly. We are already seeing dramatic declines in bird populations, so it is imperative that changes happen now. The rise in public awareness of the damaging impact of sun grown coffee farming, as well as the increased popularity of shade grown, will hopefully have a beneficial impact over time as the demand for sustainably farmed coffees directs the market.

Unknown to some coffee lovers is the fact that certain coffees, while being ’shade grown’ are not actually shaded by trees. Many coffees in the Coban region of Guatemala are shaded by the low-hanging clouds that are ever present in that microclimate. Some farms shade their coffee in the shadow of massive cliffs or even whole mountains or volcanoes. While trees certainly play a primary role in coffee’s ecosystem, there are some scenarios when trees are not necessarily required for sustainable coffee production. For instance, in some regions there is very little migratory activity of birds and in others, large trees simply may not grow as they do in coffee’s native land. Therefore, the definition of shade grown coffee actually includes some that were not grown in the shade of ‘canopy trees’. For those concerned with the envorinmental impact of coffee growing, it is most important to assess the overall sustainability of a farm or co-op within the context of the region, microclimate, and ecosystem where it is grown.