The term shade-grown coffee refers to coffee grown under trees. In this way, the naturally tall trees provide a large canopy that shields the coffee from direct sunlight, maintains a more consistent temperature, and slows down overall growth during fruiting. This helps the coffee beans accumulate more nutrients and develop a fuller and richer flavor.
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Cultivation area
Including Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, Central America, Mexico, and parts of Africa, Indonesia, and India. Coffee is mainly grown in a Full Sun (or Sun-grown) manner in most other regions, meaning there are no shade trees.
The standard
The Shade-Grown Coffee Standard is administered by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC), which pioneered the Smithsonian Institution’s proposed definition of shade coffee as one of the Fair Traded standards. Coffee) also outlines other specific criteria such as Bird Friendly coffee.
These concepts emphasize the importance of ecosystem conservation in coffee farming to protect native wildlife, especially the migratory bird populations of Central America. Others also bring benefits to the health and living environment of the farmers themselves.
