The Undervaluation Of Shade-Grown Coffee – CoffeeTalk

A study by the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) has found that carbon markets undervalue shade-grown coffee farms. The research, published in Communications Earth & Environment, analyzed 67 studies from around the world’s coffee regions. The findings revealed that coffee farms currently store about 482 million metric tons of carbon in aboveground biomass. However, if all shade-grown farms were converted to sun-grown monocultures, the resulting tree loss could release 174-221 million metric tons of carbon, far outweighing the estimated 82-87 million metric tons that could be gained through global tree-planting initiatives on sun farms. This imbalance points to a troubling incentive problem: carbon credit systems often reward planting new trees but not protecting existing ones. Farmers may be pushed toward replacing older, carbon-dense trees with younger species that store far less carbon. The study also highlights biodiversity risks, as shade-grown farms with diverse native tree canopies support roughly four times more bird species than monoculture systems. The researchers argue that carbon payment frameworks must shift to reward conservation of mature shade trees, not just new plantings.

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