Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Ecological effects in coffee


Originally, coffee farming was done in the shade of trees, which provide habitat for many animals and insects. This method is normally referred to as the traditional shaded method. Many farmers have decided to modernize their production methods and switch to a method where farmers would now use sun cultivation, in which coffee is grown in rows under full sun with little or no forest canopy. This causes berries to ripen more quickly and bushes to produce higher yields, but requires the clearing of trees and increased use of fertilizer and pesticides. Traditional coffee production, on the other hand, cause berries to ripen more slowly and produced lower yields, compared to the modernized method, but the quality of the coffee is allegedly superior. In addition, the traditional shaded method is environmentally friendly and serves as a habitat for several species. Opponents of sun cultivation say environmental troubles such as deforestation; pesticide pollution, habitat destruction, and soil and water degradation are the side effects of these practices. However, while certain types of shaded coffee cultivation systems show greater biodiversity than full-sun systems, they still compare poorly to native forest in terms of habitat value.
Another issue concerning coffee is its use of water. According to New Scientist, it takes about 140 litres of water to grow the coffee beans required to produce one cup of coffee, and the coffee is often grown in countries where there is a water shortage, such as Ethiopia.

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