Curious About … Bird-friendly Coffee?

Today, in celebration of Earth Day, I’m pouring myself a cup of dark roast Birds and Beans Coffee. Instead of clearing rainforest, this coffee is grown underneath shade trees that provide habitat for birds, including dozens of species that will arriving to our part of Washington in the coming weeks. It is a delicious way to support farmers who best protect habitat and their families, earning a fair price for their labors. Best of all, I’m now able to call in my order and then do a drive by pick-up at Wenatchee’s Wild Bird’s Unlimited Store.

This coffee certification program is a project of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. As explained on their website, while much of the world’s coffee drives habitat loss, Bird Friendly habitat flies above the rest by ensuring a combination of foliage cover, tree height and biodiversity proven to provide quality habitat for birds and other wildlife. Certification standards cover everything from canopy height to insect biodiversity to protect the wildlife that lives where coffee is grown. Bird Friendly coffees are also certified organic, meaning they are grown without pesticides, which is better for people and for the planet.

Bird Friendly producers can also earn more for their crops. The certification gives growers access to gourmet market price premiums, and the timber and fruit trees on shade coffee farms provide farmers with additional income. Every cup of Bird Friendly coffee purchased rewards these farmers for being good stewards of the environment and encourages them to continue conserving Bird Friendly habitat.

Bird Friendly® Benefits Include:

• Better tasting coffee, because shade-grown coffee beans ripen slowly, resulting in a richer flavor
• Association with the Smithsonian Institution’s cutting-edge research, conservation work, brand recognition and Bird Friendly® marketing approach
• Access to gourmet markets for all producers, irrespective of farm size
• Climate change mitigation and extreme weather protection for crops through shade trees
• Healthier environments for farm workers and downstream communities
• Traditional coffee varieties and new varieties that are resistant to pests

My committment to drinking Bird Friendly Coffee was strengthened after viewing the newly released documentary film Shade Grown Coffee by Director Alexander Kinnunen and Producer Victoria Handskemagner Wagner. “Shade Grown Coffee” is the inspiring story about how growing coffee in the shade of native trees in the tropics can have a truly positive impact on local communities, halt deforestation and protect critical habitat for wildlife – all while giving your daily dose of caffeine a better aftertaste.

For a less than the cost of a cup of fancy coffee, you can watch it at home. View the trailer here and rent the 75-minute film. The film-makers visited farmers in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Jamaica and Ethiopia and at roasteries and cafés in the US, Europe and Asia. After taking their round-the-world tour, viewers have a new appreciation for the process, from seed to cup.