Coffee grows best under a canopy of shade. By keeping their coffee farms well-forested, as well as by practicing sustainable farming methods, our producer partners are doing their part for the environment: reducing soil erosion, increasing soil fertility, maintaining habitat for wildlife and migratory songbirds, protecting water sources, and much, much more…
Unfortunately, when visiting our co-operative partners, regardless of which country we’re in, landscapes like the one below are becoming all too common. Here’s a familiar scene from our trip last week to Nicaragua:
But, there’s also a lot being done in farming communities to protect and restore the environment that keeps us hopeful.
Here’s a photo of Marvin Tonico’s farm in the community of Filas Verdes. He is a member of Fuente de Oro (Fountain of Gold), one of eight organic coffee co-operatives that are affiliated through the Tierra Nueva (New Land) Union of Cooperatives located in Boaco and Matagalpa.
You can see the row of coffee in the background, the different species of shade trees above. In the foreground are the “live barriers”, rows of plants used to prevent soil erosion.
Here’s another photo of young coffee bushes planted under the shade canopy:
Small Farmers. Big Change. 
Pictures worth a thousand words – it all makes so much more of an impact when we can see the results of sustainable farming.
Debbie
http://www.organic-food-and-drink.com/
hi,it is nice to read your articles on coffee, and to see the photos .my wife and i purchased a coffee finca 2 years agoin nicaragua ,a little town of zapata i cant find it on the map it is outside of esquipulas, Matagalpa in the mountain area the coffee is shade tree grown .We have banana trees and orange trees etc water falls each side of the finca (small)we have lots of differnt birds,monkeyswe also have a school house there.we have invested 10 of thousands for this ranch with no regretes ,my wife and i both work here and send money there I have had the pleasure to go there 2 times at each harvest season .I really enjoy drinking coffee ,i never relized the work that went into producing a fine cup of coffee it is the most labor intense operation i have ever seen ,my back hurt just watching .very skilled people with great knowledge ,friendly and very helpful ,my spanish being well very limted .this did not hinder there wanting to share what ever they had to share .the children the adults the very old ,i had a wonderful time .however a little sad at the price we would receive for 100lbs of coffee we produced about 15 tons of coffee,only to sell it to the local coyote.for 50.00-60.00 per hundred it may seem decent ,but the cost to produce it leaves no profit or any thing to help better the area ,to pay better wages to help the people out of the proverty they live in.my forman told me one night that ,tim this is proverty yes i said this is .but the people do not show it, there are warm smiles and kindness here and very hard workers ,but yes i do see the proverty here .one day i said the people will prosper cause we will keep working. looking and praying for better ways to sell our products.there is alot i would like to do with this finca ,and with the people who work there and the area around the out skirts ,so that all would prosper .so iam asking you or your readers if they have any ideas on who to sell to ,however this is about the near end of picking maybe 2 -3 tons left. any ideas would be helpful.if not this year but next . thankyou tim