Coffee Environmentalism
The boom of the 1980s specialty coffee movement began to attract attention to the human cost of coffee production as well as the environmental cost. Coffee typically flourishes as a shade crop, its trees thrive under the canopy provided by taller trees. These taller trees also offer a habitat to numerous species of migratory birds and other wildlife. The last decades of the 20th century saw the development of hybrid coffee varieties that could grow in full sun in tightly crowded rows. In some Latin American countries, growers adopted these hybrids – clearing the rainforests and in the process decimating the bird population. Deforestation also caused soil erosion and deprived coffee farms of a natural form of mulch, wind barriers and drought protection. The resulting full-sun coffee is considered an inferior product by many coffee experts.
In response to concerns voiced by environmentalists, some coffee producers and sellers have begun to label “Shade Coffee” or “Sustainable Coffee” beans cultivated in the shade of the remaining forests. Although it constitutes only a fraction of the coffee market, it is a step toward recognizing that the inexpensive cup we enjoy each day comes at a cost beyond that found in our wallets.
