Environmental Impact of Sun Cultivated Coffee

Traditional coffee farms grow coffee in the shade. The plants are interspersed under a forest canopy, typically in a cloudy mountain habitat. There is no need for synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides or fungicides in such a sustainable habitat. The result is organic shade grown coffee whether it is certified or not. But, the increased demand for coffee has resulted in the production of sun cultivated coffee. New strains have been developed that are more sun tolerant. Coffee plants are spaced very close together to increase production. But, the bunching of a lot of coffee plants together increases the incidence of insect and fungal infestations like coffee leaf rust. The environmental impact of sun cultivated coffee therefore includes deforestation and the environmental impact of sun cultivated coffee includes pollution of the soil and water table with harmful chemicals. You can drink healthy organic coffee and help the world avoid the environmental impact of sun cultivated coffee or go ahead and ignore the situation. If you want to do the right thing, what is the next step?

 

The Best Organic Coffee is Shade Grown with the Birds

The Best Organic Coffee Provides Bird Habitat

The Power of the Consumer

If no one buys sun cultivated coffee they will quit producing it. And if people insist on certified organic coffee they will produce more and thereby reduce the environmental impact of sun cultivated coffee. What are the certifications to look for? Look for the USDA, UTZ or Rainforest Alliance seals when you buy coffee.

USDA Certified

When coffee is certified organic by the USDA we know that sustainable agricultural practices were used and that the product is in all likelihood not sun cultivated. It is free of many of the pesticide, herbicide, and synthetic fertilizer residues that can be found coffee grown in crowded fields in direct sun.

 

USDA Seal

USDA Organic Coffee Certification

UTZ Certified

The UTZ label indicates that the coffee comes from a coffee farm that employs sustainable agricultural practices, good environmental practices and efficient farm management. According to the UTZ web site:

UTZ Certified stands for sustainable farming and better opportunities for farmers, their families and our planet. The UTZ program enables farmers to learn better farming methods, improve working conditions and take better care of their children and the environment. Through the UTZ-program farmers grow better crops, generate more income and create better opportunities while safeguarding the environment and securing the earth’s natural resources.


UTZ Organic Shafe Grown Coffee

UTZ Organic Shafe Grown Coffee

Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee

The Rainforest Alliance is an NGA that works to preserve biodiversity. It does so for agricultural products by convincing people to buy environmentally friendly coffees and other produce. Rainforest Alliance certified indicates good land use practices. Certified coffee farms meet a strict set of environmental standards that include preservation of the ecosystem and reduction in use of synthetic chemicals of all sorts.

 

Rainforest Alliance Organic Shade Grown Coffee

Rainforest Alliance Organic Shade Grown Coffee

Not Certified But Environmentally Friendly

There are a lot of small coffee farmers who use strictly organic sustainable practices in growing, harvesting, processing and storing their coffee. The problem is that they do not make enough money to pay for certification. One of our goals at Buy Organic Coffee is to find buyers for these folks who avoid the environmental impact of sun cultivated coffee. If you are interested in organic coffee in small or large quantities from such growers contact us at Buy Organic Coffee.




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