What is Fair Trade, Shade Grown, Organic Coffee?

Benefits of Fair Trade

Fair Trade Certified coffee directly supports a better life for farming families in the developing world through fair prices, community development and environmental stewardship. Fair Trade farmers market their own harvests through direct, long-term contracts with international buyers, learning how to manage their businesses and compete in the global marketplace. Receiving a fair price for their harvest allows these farmers to invest in their families’ health care and education, reinvest in quality and protect the environment. This empowerment model lifts farming families from poverty through trade, not aid, creating a more equitable and sustainable model of international trade that benefits producers, consumers, industry and the Earth. (GroundsForChange.com)

Environmental benefits of shade grown coffee

Coffee is a shade-loving shrub and naturally-occurring varieties can only be cultivated under a canopy of shade trees. What we now refer to as “shade grown coffee” was the only way coffee was cultivated until 25 years ago, when new full-sun hybrids were developed that produced substantially higher yields for coffee farmers and allowed the creation of massive agribusiness-style plantations, which were not economically viable prior to this time.

The increased yields of full-sun coffee come at the expense of the environment, the flavor of the coffee itself and of migratory bird populations, which have been decimated in the last 25 years. About 200 species of birds that breed in North America spend our winters in central and South America, including tanagers, orioles, warblers and thrushes that grace our forests with their summer songs.

The plight of migratory birds is frequently identified with shade grown coffee because shade grown coffee farms are small ecosystems, second only to tropical rainforests in terms of biodiversity. These farms act as an oasis for over 150 species of migratory birds whose populations have declined 50% in just the last 25 years, primarily due to habitat destruction caused by full-sun coffee plantations, which have 95% fewer bird species than their shaded counterparts.Clear-cutting the forest for full-sun plantations increases soil erosion and deadly mudslides and the chemicals used to support the growth of full-sun hybrids produce toxic run-off and acidify the soil. Needless to say, biodiversity on these plantations is negligible. Shade grown coffee shrubs live twice as long and the shade trees generate natural mulch, which means less replanting and less need for chemical fertilizers.

Benefits of organic agriculture

The use of toxic chemicals is not only hazardous to the workers and their families, but also to the environment that they rely on to sustain themselves. The use of harmful chemicals on locally-grown crops has a direct impact on their quality of life. Their land should provide them with food for their families, water for drinking and a playground for their children. Deforestation, soil erosion and habitat loss combined with agricultural chemical pollution leave behind an environment that is lifeless, polluted and barren.

In contrast, organic coffee farming encourages sustainability, multilayered crop production and a rich array of wildlife. Farmers who practice organic coffee farming methods depend on organic matter to fertilize plants and by using these materials, mimic the natural processes of growth and decay. Organic coffee farming encourages beneficial insects and a healthier, more resistant crop. Mulching with organic materials and growing coffee under a canopy of trees decreases the need for irrigation and conserves water

Bishop’s Bend Coffee is roasted and distributed by the

Pura Vida Coffee Co.

All Pura Vida coffee is certified Fair Trade, Organic, Shade Grown coffee

You can buy Bishop’s Blend Coffee at coffee hour after selected church services on Sundays. Some of the wholesale cost goes to Episcopal Relief and Development. Some of the sales profits go to the Good Shepherd Environmental Ministry.

From: http://natashawilson.wordpress.com/2009/01/31/364-things-buy-organic-fair-trade-coffee/