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TOPIC:
"Why Drink Shade Grown Coffee?"
Why? Because without your help in choosing to consume products that help preserve our environment, you are contributing to global destruction.
So, what’s coffee got to do with all this, you say? Quite a lot, actually.
First some history...there are approximately 227 tropical countries worldwide, and of these, only about 28 contribute on a very large scale to the world’s production of coffee, numbering some 11 million hectares.
The coffee bean is actually related to the Gardenia bush that is prevalent in home gardens and comes from a shade-loving shrub called “Coffee Arabica” that flourishes under the canopy of diverse tree species, originating in the forests of east Africa.
Our daily coffee habit literally connects us with millions of coffee farmers that grow, process, roast and export over 6.2 million tons of coffee beans that have been
channeled from tree to your cup for generations, ranking coffee as one of the most heavily traded commodities in the world.
Traditionally and in its natural habitat, most coffee has been grown in the shade of tropical rainforests and prior to 20 years ago, this was the way most coffee was grown.
Unfortunately, since about 1972, as a result of the world’s huge and ever increasing demand for the coffee bean, farmers were encouraged to increase crop yields by clearcutting their farms and changing from native crops to sun tolerant hybrids.
The conversion to sun grown coffee has resulted in massive deforestation projects and decimation of the natural rainforests of the world which continues to this day.
The resulting imbalance to our world eco-system is far reaching as it has increased worldwide pollution and resulted in coffee production that is heavily reliant upon chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, that is not necessary when coffee is grown in the shade.
The canopy in shade grown coffee plantations not only protects the soil from erosion but it also provides a natural mulch for the coffee plants.
And do you know that when you choose to drink coffee that’s not shade grown you’re contributing to an even more serious worldwide problem?
Because of the changes from traditional and natural shade growing practices, scientists and birdwatchers have noticed a
marked decline in migratory bird populations during the last 25 years.
Many species of birds familiar to North America migrate every year to the protective canopies of the world’s rainforests such as hummingbirds, swallows, warblers, orioles, tanagers and many other native birds.
A very substantial 33% of all migratory birds that breed in the United States alone spend their winters in a safe haven in the remaining forests of shade coffee plantations.
In the mid-elevations of Mexico, Central-America, the Caribbean and Columbia, most of the forests still standing are traditional shade coffee plantations, which provide support for over 150 species of birds in the form of a last refuge for birds that have lost their habitat to the vast destruction of tropical forests.
The loss of such a huge number of bird species is no small matter because without the birds, our entire ecosystem is drastically disrupted and the whole world sent further spinning out of balance.
So choose wisely when you’re buying your next cup of coffee or bag of beans, because what’s in your coffee cup could help save the world’s shrinking rainforests and the many species of migratory birds that find sanctuary in shade grown plantations.
Remember, even the smallest person can make a difference, so the
next time you're in your local coffee shop, don't forget to ask them
if they buy shade grown coffee.
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