Grounds for Alarm...
The Dark Side of Coffee

What, you may ask, does coffee have to do with birds? Well, we early-bird FLAPPERs rely heavily on the stuff to keep our eyes propped open...but, more importantly, massive coffee plantations are steadily displacing tropical rainforests, the wintering grounds for many of our migratory birds.

Coffee is a shade-tolerant plant and has traditionally been grown on small farms set within existing forests or in slightly modified environments. On a traditional farm, coffee shrubs are grown under a canopy of citrus or cacao trees, banana plants, palms and commercial timber species. Omnivorous birds find food aplenty in such a diversified environment and farmers supplement the income earned from the coffee harvest with cash from other agricultural products. As well, the biological diversity inherent in these farms reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Shade-grown coffee is arguably the most environmentally friendly form of agriculture possible in a tropical environment.

As a result of widespread deforestation and environmental degradation in Latin America, migratory birds increasingly rely on the refuge provided by traditional coffee farms. The prevalence of these small holdings in middle elevations, where there are few protected areas, have made them an important adjunct to existing forest reserves. In areas where the forest has been destroyed, these small farms have become the last refuge of forest species. Up to 180 species of birds have been recorded on some farms, almost as many as in an undisturbed forest. Among them are many of the warblers, orioles, tanagers, flycatchers, thrushes and vireos FLAP strives to protect.

To our dismay we have discovered that the traditional coffee farms are under threat. Beginning in the 1970s, concerns over fungal diseases combined with demands for increased agricultural yields and foreign exchange earnings led to a push to "technify" the coffee industry. The result has been a sweeping government-sanctioned shift to modern production techniques. The result: large industrial farms with a monoculture of coffee shrubs. The increased productivity comes at a hefty price: soil erosion, acidification, groundwater contamination by dangerous chemicals such as DDT, potential changes in micro-climatic conditions and reduced quality of life for coffee labourers. The huge plantations become a virtual biological desert. Studies have shown that 94-97% of bird species disappear following conversion to full-sun coffee production.

What can we do? Choose to buy high-quality, shade-grown coffee. (While the term "shade-grown" is as yet unregulated and offers no guarantee of significant biodiversity, it is still a step in the right direction.) Your local supermarket is probably not an option yet, but there exist reliable suppliers of coffee whose production and marketing strategies embody environmental and social justice values.

Bridgehead, a not-for-profit, fair trade organization sells shade-grown coffee by phone, mail order, through the Internet and at their stores in Ottawa and Toronto. Phone (800)463-4143 or 975-8788 in Toronto.

Alternative Grounds, a coffee house in Toronto's west end, roasts their own shade-grown coffees on the premises. Phone (416) 534-6335 or (800) 566-9273.
World Wildlife Fund Canada is now marketing roasting kits for those adventurous enough to roast their own shade-grown coffee beans. Phone (416) 489-8800.

The major specialty chains do not make any public claims of selling shade-grown coffee although they seem to be aware of the potential. Ask at your local "caffeinating" hole - if they do not offer shade-grown coffee urge them to switch.

With two million acres of tropical rainforest disappearing every year in Mexico and Central America, and almost half the region's coffee now growing on full-sun farms, it is vital that we coffee drinkers consider the impact of our habit on wildlife and create a market for a more sustainable product. Let's brew for the birds!

Marc Klein
Marc is FLAP's newly-elected Secretary and a coffee lover. He rated Alternative Grounds' dark roast as "phenomenal"!