Piece Description

Open-field coffee cultivation emerged some 30 years ago. While the method may be productive in the short run, it often degrades the environment, and requires extensive use of pesticides and fertilizers. Today, more consumers are choosing coffee that's cultivated using methods that don?t harm the environment ? methods that draw on traditional environmental knowledge. Coffee is a small evergreen -- an under-story tree that originated in the tropical forests of Africa. Once domesticated, it was grown in the shade of other trees like fruit trees and exotic hardwoods. The practice of "shade-grown" cultivation offers a number of advantages over the more intensive "sun-grown" or "open field" methods ? advantages like multiple harvests, improved soil quality, and organic control of pests and diseases. Traditional farming methods are making a comeback. For example, shade-grown coffee farms exist today on 60 percent of El Salvador's forested land. As consumer demand rises, indigenous farmers are returning to traditional methods - methods that produce sustainable yields while preserving the biodiversity and integrity of the tropical forest ecosystem. How can you help? Buy organically grown, fair-trade coffee the next time you go to the supermarket.