Shaded vs Sun Based Coffee
Over the last three and a half decades the world has moved from shade grown coffee to sun grown coffee which has substantially changed the Earths’ landscape. Almost 60% of the trees have been cut under which coffee was grown. The shaded coffee plants were resting places for migrating songbirds like warblers, orioles, wood thrushes and fly catchers. Thhese coffee plants were their food. Now there are fewer species of birds in the sun shaded coffee plants as compared to shade grown coffee plants. Many insects like orchids, amphibians and reptiles lived on shaded coffee plants but they cannot live on sun grown coffee plants.

Stats show that sun coffee varieties has three times more production that than shaded coffee. But many chemicals as fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides are used for their growth. These plants have very small roots which increases erosion. It is true that most of the worlds’ coffee produce is now from sun grown but that was not always the case. Initially most of the produce was shade grown. Most of the varieties of coffee were traditionally intolerant of direct sunlight. Trees provided the proper environment like organic wastes and moisture for proper growth. Nitrogen-fixing legumes are also present in this enviroemnt which convert nitrogen in usable forms. This environment has many natural advantages like it keeps the earth cool, creates clouds for rainfall, controls insects and provide them living place.

Many studies have also revealed that shade based coffee farms have less birds and wild life diversity than sun based farms. The presence of trees and shaded coffee plants on very steep mountainous landscapes in high-rainfall areas helps to stabilize slopes and minimize the soil erosion. Therefore the fertility of land is maintained through more trees. Shaded coffee farms are bio-diversified i.e a