Uncovering Benefits the of Shade-grown Coffee

Several decades ago, the vast majority of coffee was grown under shady conditions. These days though, many coffee farmers have abandoned such cultivation methods, in preference for so-called ‘clear-cutting.’

Clearing trees and allowing sunlight to reach coffee plantations may result in higher yields, but the environmental impact is not to be ignored. That said, while the eco properties of coffee cultivated in shadier surroundings are undeniably greater, taste is also of paramount importance to the worldwide coffee drinking business.

In a broadcast discussion, a University of California researcher, Shalene Jha, who is investigating the superior green credentials of shade-grown coffee, met with Nick Cho of US coffee house, Wrecking Ball Coffee, for a taste session.

Talking first about the benefits of supporting rainforest ecosystems, Jha communicated the importance of encouraging a diversity of bees so as to boost pollination. Such pollinators, according to the researcher, also help to promote the reproduction of native trees, rendering these habitats more easily reforested.

Other studies have apparently shown that birds and bats negate the need for pesticides and themselves perform a good pest control service within the coffee plant leaves. Furthermore, in unfortunate cases of any sort of epidemic or damage, shadier coffee growing conditions mean that forest fragments may well remain where areas that might have otherwise been lost are quickly recolonised.

Meanwhile in terms of taste, it seems that shade-grown coffee may leave a slightly sweeter impression, a somewhat caramelised aftertaste, according to the discussion host, which, although linked to the art of roasting, means that the greater sugar content would have been there in the first place.