Shade-grown coffee is for the birds
Choosing shade-grown coffee can also help preserve the rainforest - important "carbon sinks" for the planet.
But what does coffee have to do with birds? Plenty! In the mid-elevations of Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and Colombia, most of the forests still standing are in traditional coffee plantations. These provide the last refuge for birds that have lost their habitat to the vast destruction of tropical forests.
The Shade Coffee Campaign reminds us that U.S. coffee drinkers comprise one-third of the world coffee market. By purchasing coffee that is grown in the shade, we help keep shade coffee economically viable and preserve increasingly scarce habitat for our migratory neotropical birds. Birds that we enjoy in the summer, such as the Ruby-throated hummingbird, need winter homes in Central America!
For bird-friendly coffee
To be sure it is providing habitat for birds, look for one of the following certifications:
Bird Friendly- certified by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Institute
Eco-OK- certified by the Rainforest Alliance
Mexican Organic and Peruvian Organic coffees are likely to be shade-grown, but are not certified as such.
More info about coffee and birds
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Fact Sheet
- Atlanta Audubon Shade Grown Coffee Committee
- Songbird Foundation
Note: You can see the difference between a shade coffee plantation and a sun coffee plantation in their Sustainable Coffee slide show.
