Shade-grown coffee is considered superior to regular and organic coffees due to its gourmet quality, sustainable agricultural practices, and benefits for biodiversity and soil preservation. It is grown in forests, allowing natural ecosystems to thrive, which enhances flavor while avoiding the use of harmful chemicals. Additionally, this method of farming supports responsible land management and provides habitats for displaced wildlife.

1. SHADE GROWN COFFEE BENEFITS
By www.BurOrganicCoffee.org

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Organic coffee is a better choice than
regular coffee.

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This is because organic coffee has all of the
benefits of coffee and none of the impurities
than can be found in a regular cup or java.

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And shade grown coffee is often a better
choice than plain organic.

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Why is this? What are the shade grown
coffee benefits that convince us to buy
shade grown instead of organic or regular
coffee?

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Shade Grown Coffee

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Shade Grown Coffee Benefits

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 Gourmet coffee
 Sustainable agriculture
 Preservation of biodiversity
 Soil preservation as a priority
 Commitment to responsible land
management

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Shade Grown Coffee Benefits 1:
Shade grown is gourmet coffee

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A couple of years ago we wrote
about gourmet coffee and what that
means.

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In general gourmet coffee is characterized
by high quality beans and skillful
preparation.

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In the world of coffee many consider
Jamaican Blue Mountain, Kona from
Hawaii, select organic coffees
from Panama and Arabic coffee
from Colombia as being of high gourmet
quality. But there is more to the story.

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Growing coffee in the shade results in a
finer coffee.

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This is similar to growing coffee at higher
altitudes.

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The beans mature more slowly and with
deeper and richer flavor.

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Shade Grown Coffee Benefits 2:
Sustainable Agriculture

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The ideal way to grow coffee in the shade is
to plant coffee within an existing forest.

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Mother Nature takes care of the rest. In this
ideal situation there are no herbicides,
fungicides, pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.
This is organic coffee at its finest.

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Forested coffee farms are bio-rich buffer
zones for plants, flowers and wildlife that
are at risk as a result of deforestation and
poor land management.

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Planting coffee under the existing forest
canopy results in a high quality coffee.

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And income from selling the shade grown
coffee helps the farmer keep the land in its
original pristine condition.

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Without having to resort to the use of
synthetic fertilizers or other chemicals the
natural plants are all preserved.

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And the water table is not polluted.
Sustainable agriculture is one of the best
shade grown coffee benefits.

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Coffee in the Shade

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Shade Grown Coffee Benefits 3:
Preservation of biodiversity

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On a regular coffee farm the land is cleared
for planting.

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At best the farmer may intersperse plantain
within the coffee growing area.

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This provides shade and helps prevent
erosion.

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But when the natural forest is cleared for
coffee planting a huge number of species of
plant life and animals are lost.

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The Smithsonian Tropical Research
Institute studies biodiversity and more in
regard to the tropics, the areas where coffee
is grown.

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The most conspicuous trait of tropical
ecosystems is their high biodiversity.

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A few hectares of tropical rainforest may be
home to more species of plants, fungi,
animals and microorganisms than all of the
United States and Canada combined.

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And when the rainforest is cleared to plant
coffee almost all of the plant and animal
species that lived there are lost.

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Shade grown coffee benefits include
preservation of biodiversity.

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Shade Grown Coffee Benefits 4:
Soil preservation

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When a bio system is left alone the plants
grow and they die.

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They return to the soil to provide nutrients
for the next generation.

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Bacteria and fungi find their place in the
ecosystem and in turn each generation
provides nutrients for the next.

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Animals including insects help pollinate
plants and provide nitrogen rich fertilizer as
well.

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Over many years the soil builds up and
provides a habitat for all that live there.

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Shade grown coffee is simply part of the
system and lends to preservation of soil and
biodiversity which is not the case with most
commercial coffee farms.

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Shade Grown Coffee Benefits 5:
Responsible land management comes
first

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Especially when most coffee is grown using
commercial farming practices, shade grown
coffee has great value.

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Forested coffee farms are bio-rich buffer
zones for plants, flowers and wildlife that
are at risk as a result of deforestation and
poor land management elsewhere.

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Responsible land management by shade
grown coffee farmers provides habitat for a
wide variety of species.

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And it provides a refuge for those displaced
by deforestation elsewhere.

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On a regular commercial coffee farm the
farmer needs to constantly watch his
financial bottom line.

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The price of regular coffee is set in the
futures market in New York.

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And the price the farmer gets for his regular
coffee is set by supply and demand.

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Because shade grown coffee is gourmet
coffee and typically organic coffee it
commands a higher price.

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This allows the smart farmer to put
responsible land management first.

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And in so doing, he preserves the land for
continued production of high quality,
gourmet and organic shade grown coffee.

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What is preserved when
coffee is grown in the shade
of the rain forest?

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The tree canopy is the uppermost layer in
the forest habitat.

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The canopy has many different types of tree
species of varying heights, branch height,
tree architecture and leaf size.

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These trees provide shade for coffee plants.
They are home for birds, bats and many
other natural organisms beneficial to the
habitat.

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Epiphytes are a group of plants that grow
on other plants, usually trees, instead of
growing in the ground.

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Orchids, ferns, bromeliads, and lichen are
epiphytes.

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They do not take resources directly from the
plant on which they live.

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Neotropical migratory birds that breed in
Canada and the USA during the summer
and spend winters in the Americas or the
Caribbean islands, favor epiphytes for
nesting, water, and food.

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Neotropical birds include, for example, All
Black-capped Vireos and Lucy’s Warblers,
some Painted Buntings, Northern Parulas,
and Gray Catbirds.

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Coffee plantations with more epiphytes
have more canopy cover and more
arthropod insects such as grasshoppers,
butterflies, ants, beetles, and others.

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Is this good? Yes, arthropod insects are
beneficial for the environment and are an
important food source for the birds.

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Tangara Gyrola, Colombia