Shade cover on coffee farms not only boosts biodiversity but also enhances the quality of coffee, as per a new study. Coffee grown under high shade, with over 30% canopy cover, houses a greater variety of plant and animal species compared to low shade or sun-grown coffee. This increase in biodiversity benefits farmers by providing natural pest control and improving soil quality. The research was spearheaded by Sophie Manson from Oxford Brookes University, emphasizing that agriculture doesn't need to be detrimental to the environment. Shade-grown coffee represents a sustainable model that aligns agricultural practices with conservation goals. The study, which included a meta-analysis of 1,900 research papers, underlines the importance of preserving traditional cultivation methods like shade-grown coffee. The location is critical, as the impact of shade varies globally. The goal is to integrate productivity with biodiversity conservation, avoiding further destruction of forests for agriculture.
Lux Cafe Club wrote an interesting article on The Evolution of Coffee Farms in the Age of Agroforestry that you can read here.
Enjoying the read? Subscribe for free to one of the fastest-growing newsletters and get weekly coffee news (TL;DR updates) delivered right to your inbox.