Benefits of Shade-Grown Coffee

A new study of shade-grown coffee in Kona showed that yields were not decreased with up to 40-50% shade.

Craig Elevitch has now completed his extensive study of shade-grown coffee, one that several of our members collaborated in, and the results are intriguing. They illustrate potential environmental benefits and recommend shade levels that can maintain high coffee productivity.

Coffee trees originated as an understory tree in tropical forests, and adding diversified shade trees to the Kona coffee orchard can have multiple benefits, both to coffee production and to the environment. Based on data collected for coffee yields for various shade levels, the study recommends a target range of 40–50% shade to achieve best yields. In order to maintain these shade levels, farmers must decide how many shade trees they can grow per acre and then prune or thin the canopies to prevent the shade from exceeding 50%. The farmers in the study had different goals. Some wanted to preserve and restore native forests, using coffee as the income to support the preservation; some farmers grew fruit and nut trees for their own table or to sell; others used shade trees to support organic coffee production. Shade trees also provide important habitat for native wildlife. The study found that shade tree biomass added significantly to total farm carbon storage, and conserving total carbon on farms helps slow the release of carbon into the atmosphere, a primary cause of global warming.

View the full 22-page study report and video of interviews with farmers