Unlike most agricultural crops, which are grown on land that has been clear-cut, coffee thrives when grown naturally in the shade under a canopy of other, larger trees. And, for a long time, that is exactly how coffee was grown.

Unfortunately, as worldwide coffee consumption grew, other methods prevailed.

With the emergence of sun-grown coffee plantations, coffee growing became a big, profitable business. By clearing the land of its native mixed vegetation, more coffee could be planted on each acre, and each plant would yield more coffee beans—so long as one didn't mind chemical fertilizers, pesticides, soil erosion and toxic run-off.

Great for big agro-business. Good for people looking for cheap coffee. But bad for most everybody else, and for the migratory birds that depend upon the habitat afforded them by traditional shade-grown coffee farms. Decades of such "modernization" have decimated habitat, decreased biodiversity, and damaged the environment.

It's easy to see why shade-grown coffee is better for birds, for people, and for the environment:

• Good for Birds: Traditional shade-grown coffee plantations provide a haven for migratory birds. Next to virgin rainforest, this habitat supports a greater biodiversity of avifauna than any other in Western coffee-growing regions.

• Good for the Environment: Organically-produced shade-grown coffees rely on traditional—not chemical—methods of farming, fertilization and pest management.
  

• Good for Farmers: Fairly-traded coffees, sourced from estates and cooperatives, ensure fair wages and a better standard of living for those who labor to produce coffee. Organic growing methods mean safer conditions for workers, as farmers are not exposed to chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
  

• Good for Coffee Lovers: Because shade-grown coffees mature more slowly, in natural balance, they are more richly flavored and smoother than sun-grown coffee.
  

• Good for Bird Lovers: A portion of the proceeds from every bag of COFFEE FOR THE BIRDS™ sold supports educational institutions and non-profit organizations dedicated to bird conservation.

Bird of the Month:

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker