About Bird Friendly, Organic Coffee

Bird Friendly coffee generally refers to coffee beans which are grown under a natural forest canopy with little alteration of the environment. Shade grown coffee benefits migratory birds who use the coffee plant as a natural habitat, reduces the need for fertilizers and herbicides and promotes biodiversification - benefiting both the environment and the consumer. Organic coffee beans are grown and produced without the use of pesticides or herbicides while encouraging sustainable growing practices - benefiting both the environment and the consumer. Altura (mountain grown) coffee generally refers to coffee beans which are grown at an altitude of 1,200 meters (3,397 feet) or more. Many gourmet coffee enthusiasts claim that Altura coffee is the best of the best.

"An early walk under the extraordinary jungle canopy of tropical trees...." Read our customer comments.

In fact, shade-coffee plantations are second only to undisturbed forest as the best habitat for birds in Latin America. Shade-grown coffee is a term with no clear-cut definition. Unfortunately, at this time, "shade-grown coffee" can be whatever the seller says it is. A number of organizations are working to establish a standard, enforceable label, among them the Rainforest Alliance Certified program and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center’s “bird-friendly” criteria. American bird conservationists in particular are interested in shade-coffee. Depending on the species of shade trees used and the structure of the tree cover, anywhere from a few to scores of resident and migratory bird species will use Latin American and Caribbean coffee farms for food and cover. Ornithologists have consistently documented the importance of shade-coffee habitat in the increasingly deforested landscape of the Neotropics.

The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center has trademarked the term "Bird Friendly" in order to describe environmentally sensitive coffee grown under defined criteria, including a shade spectrum or shade gradient. Among other things, the criteria state a minimum percentage of shade cover, exclude certain genera as backbone trees, and promote diversity by limiting the proportion of Inga trees in the canopy. Buffer zones and living fences are encouraged, while removal of epiphytes is discouraged. At present there are about a dozen companies adhering to this particular certification.

Organic coffee is produced by an approach that views the farm as an ecosystem. Emphasis is placed on recycling, composting, soil health, and biological activity with the goal of long-term protection of the farm environment. Synthetic chemicals are rigorously avoided. Stringent national standards are required to certify that specific practices are used to produce and process organic agricultural ingredients used for food and non-food purposes.

Organically-grown coffee is not necessarily shade-grown, but it usually is. This is because the trees of the canopy provide several necessities to the organic coffee farm, among them leaf litter (which acts as a fertilizer), resident wildlife species that control pests, and the retention of moisture. Since coffee grown in the shade is slower-ripening, and often is drawn from vintage cultivars, there is the suggestion that it tastes better, with more complex flavors. However, the roasting process contributes just as much to the quality of coffee in the cup.