Brutal Beans

This is how coffee from the shadows contributes:

Less CO2 in the air.

All the plants and trees in a food forest absorb a significant amount of CO2 from the air. Much more than in monoculture. And that's exactly what we need to do to combat climate change.

More fertile soil.

Soil also benefits from agroforestry. Each plant plays a unique role in regulating nitrogen and carbon, among other things. This results in better quality than growing a single crop, especially for long-term soil balance. And that means less fertilizer use-whoop whoop!

More biodiversity.

Home is where the trees are. Agroforests help preserve biodiversity. They provide habitat for many species. This allows ecosystems to persist even as the climate changes. Have you heard of the yellow warbler? The "yellow warbler" lives in coffee forests. This bird is not only beautiful to watch, but also important for our coffee. He loves the coffee borer, one of the biggest pests of coffee plants. The fewer coffee diseases, the higher the quality of the bean. And that means fewer damaged beans to throw away and a $300 higher yield per acre for the farmer.

Fresh air and clean water.

Tall trees catch a lot of wind, and that has advantages. The forest acts as a kind of filter that keeps dust and gases out of the air. The same goes for (ground) water. Trees absorb nutrients from the deeper groundwater and thus purify it.