Understanding Shade Grown Coffee
Save the Birds and Enjoy Your Coffee
Increasing attention on shade grown coffee companies suggests a similar concern is brewing among consumers and environmentalists alike.
Questions over ethically-source growing methods extend beyond the popular notions of fair trade and organic coffee beans.
Shade Grown in Not a New Technique
Some skeptics may argue this “new” trend is nothing more than a commercial ploy to target buyers. However, shade grown coffee is far from new.
It’s a technique as old as the caffeine beverage itself. It also has some worthwhile benefits to consider…
What is Shade Grown Anyway?
With a seemingly endless array of coffee types on the market, how is shade grown different and why should consumers consider this variety?
Shade grown, as the name indicates, refers to coffee plants that are cultivated in soils where surrounding trees and plants have not been removed. As a result they receive sunlight indirectly. This is important simply because most coffee varieties do not ripen appropriately in direct rays.
Coffee beans need time to mature slowly. A gradual accumulation of natural sugars enhances the flavor. As any regular drinker will attest to, is the whole point of enjoying java!
Coffee Without the Toxins
The shelter provided by overhead trees and plants provides a micro-climate where rich earth nutrients can penetrate the coffee roots. There is less soil erosion when the natural vegetation is left undisturbed. The ground remains fresh and moist. The surrounding vegetation can also help by filtering carbon dioxide. The coffee plants can then grow with little or no fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide. And less chemicals in the beans means less toxins in our cup.
Save the Trees and Keep the Birds
Shade grown coffee plants are less damaging to nearby root systems and less disruptive to local wildlife populations. Birds, especially, have been affected by the massive influx of coffee plantations.
The organization Eartheasy explains that since 1972 six million acres of coffee land has been stripped of trees. They also claim over the last 10 years the numbers of migrating bird populations have decreased by twenty percent.
Supporting shade grown encourages a more holistic and sustainable approach to coffee production. It’s also one that leaves less feathers ruffled.
Drawbacks to Shade Grown Coffee
* It is difficult to determine what has and has not been shade grown. There is no standard regulatory body that monitors across different countries. The shade grown technique is commonly used by farmers in Central America; including in Southern Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama.
* It is also hard to measure different classes and qualities of shade.
* Too much shade is also not beneficial. Having too little sunlight can lead to fungal infections in the coffee plant. This may destroy or damage the bean’s flavor altogether.
Where is Shade Grown Coffee Sold?
Shade grown, like many organic and fair trade labels, can be more costly than the big-brand coffee labels. The American-based independent roaster, Counter Culture, works with community around the world and sells 12-ounce bags for around $12. Café Canopy is another carrier that distributes shade grown coffee, which is standardized by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Their beans sell for around $13/ 12 oz. bag.
Shade Grown
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