A Simple Action to Help Birds - #5

Drink Coffee That’s Good for Birds

The challenge: Three-quarters of the world’s coffee farms grow their plants in the sun, destroying forests that birds and other wildlife need for food and shelter. Sun-grown coffee also often requires using environmentally harmful pesticides and fertilizers. On the other hand, shade-grown coffee preserves a forest canopy that helps migratory birds survive the winter.

The cause: Too few consumers are aware of the problems of sun coffee. Those who are aware may be reluctant to pay more for environmentally sustainable coffee.

Insist on shade-grown coffee that’s good for birds: It’s a win-win-win: it’s delicious, economically beneficial to coffee farmers and helps more than 42 species of North American migratory songbirds that winter in coffee plantations, including orioles, warblers and thrushes.

Take it further: Look for Bird-Friendly coffee, a certification from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center that also includes organic and fair-trade standards. 

Thanks to our friends at 3billionbirds.org for these suggestions on how we can all help birds.

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