Shade Grown Coffee

The Volcanica Coffees from Costa Rica and Kona are all shade grown coffees and have been verified that they comply with this designation. We personally inspect our farms to verify they are incompliance.

The following coffees have been certified to be shade grown coffees:

What is Shade Grown Coffee?

Shade grown coffee magically creates some of the best tasting gourmet coffees. By definition, shade grown coffees are simply coffee beans grown beneath a natural canopy of trees, not on cleared land. The natural surrounding of trees besides giving shade also provides a habitat for birds that feed on insects eliminating the use of pesticides and enrich and conserve the soil.
 

Shade trees such bananas, plantains eucalyptus and indigenous trees provide a canopy of protections of day-long sunlight from the coffee plants. The canopy prevents the sun from bleaching nutrients from the topsoil. The base and roots of the trees also prevent soil erosion. Some farmers mix in other types of farm trees such as bananas and plantains to help supplement their farm income while providing the side benefit for the coffee plants and the environment.
 

The shade grown coffee designation can apply to commercial or gourmet coffee, but is found more frequently in gourmet coffee farms. Commercial growers are focus more on quantity rather than quality. The commercial varieties that are used by the major coffee brands found in supermarkets are lower grade coffees that include the inferior Robusta beans and are purchases on world markets for the lowest available price. These coffees do not take into consideration environmental consideration and are raised and sold purely to make a high profit.

Shade Grown Contributes to the Environment

Shade grown coffee contributes to the protection of natural habitats and tropical rain forests conservation in countries where coffee is produced. The natural harmony of the canopy trees provide a balanced environment that is rewarded with a superior gourmet coffee flavor, the elimination of the need to use pesticide due to the birds that inhabit the trees and the maintenance of fertile soil that can be use year after year. This is the proper method that coffee plants where intended to farmed.

Costa Rica Shade Grown Coffee

Our coffee farmers that supply Volcanica Coffee are all active in the farming of shade grown coffee. Each year we visit our farmers to check the quality of the operation which includes ensuring that shade grown coffee practices are employed. The photos you see on this page are from our coffee farm inspections that took place in June of 2005.

Kona Shade Grown Coffee

The shade grown coffee practice in Kona coffee farms in Hawaii are unique in that shade is provided by the volcano. The Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii provides shade every afternoon. Trees are also planted to maintain soil erosion and habitat for birds.