Shade Grown Coffee

Shade Grown Coffee is Bird Safe!

Shade grown coffee benefits song birds who use the growing area as a natural habitat, reduces the need for fertilizers and herbicides, and promotes bio diversification. Unfortunately, the production of a shade grown estate is almost 1/3 that of a non-shaded farm. Therefore, there is an alarming trend towards technification or the planting of new hybrids in organized fields to maximize profits. Approximately 150 bird species live on farms of shade grown coffee, whereas non-shaded coffee has as few as 20-50 species. Between 1980 and 1994 the songbird populations have steadily decreased.

Beyond the benefit that shade can provide to migratory birds, shade grown coffee is better tasting. The shade has a similar effect on coffee as growing coffee at high altitudes. Both of these factors slow down the growth of a coffee which results in the production of more sugars and chemicals responsible for the perceived acidity in coffee.