The forest ecosystem and the development of coffee trees are closely related.

Coffee is the most popular beverage consumed worldwide with more than 500 billion cups of coffee consumed each year. The unfortunate reality for coffee enthusiasts is that the cultivation of this plant often leads to deforestation and loss of biodiversity in tropical countries, from the Americas across the tropical belt to Europe. Australia.

In some regions, the negative consequences of coffee production are getting worse as global demand for coffee increases. How can producing high-quality Specialty coffee improve livelihoods and protect biodiversity?

Yayu forest in Ethiopia

Forest ecosystem and the development of coffee trees: Coffee background

A recent report on the Economics of Biodiversity: Dasgupta Magazine highlights that our relationship with the natural world requires change at its most fundamental. The magazine argues that human societies can live sustainably by ensuring that the demands they place on nature do not exceed its resources.

Coffee farming is an example of how we need to change the way we grow it.

Instead of destroying natural habitats, it can serve to conserve forests and biodiversity, maintain beneficial ecosystem services, fix carbon, improve degraded landscapes, and provide sustainable livelihoods for farmers.

One of the difficulties of quantifying the impact of coffee farming on the natural world, both negative and positive, is the lack of reliable data and research products.

In 2014, many experts started a project at the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve in Ethiopia with Union Hand-Roasted Coffee to better understand the synergy between coffee farming and biodiversity, with the aim of understanding in more detail the coffee supply chain (often referred to as the value chain for short).

Ethiopia coffee background

The coffee industry is a billion-dollar industry. In Ethiopia alone, coffee farming provides about 25% of export income and supports the incomes of an estimated 15 million people.

The humid tropical forests of Ethiopia and neighboring countries like South Sudan are the natural (wild) home of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica). These forests exist in their natural or semi-natural state, and some have been designated as nature reserves and livelihood boosters.

It is also home to a large number of other species of plants, animals and fungi. By default, forests play an important role in providing livelihoods for the people living in and around them.

The Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve is noted for its exceptionally high level of natural (wild) Arabica coffee genetic diversity. In its core area, the Yayu forest remains intact and largely undisturbed with thousands of wild coffee trees interspersed with other wild vegetation.

The actual coffee farming takes place in the forest margins and transition zones of the reserve, where it provides up to 70% of cash income for more than 90% of the local population.

Coffee farming in Ethiopia

Specialty coffee background

In many recent studies, there has been consideration of the potential for income improvement and biodiversity conservation through Specialty coffee.

Specialty coffee is a high-quality product and costs much more than mass-produced industrial coffees. Over the past two decades, the demand for Specialty coffee has grown and continues to grow.

Its higher quality status is achieved by implementing best practice farming, harvesting and processing practices. All rotated with a high level of quality control.

In an ideal model, the secondary income generated by specialty coffee is distributed throughout the supply chain, including to coffee farmers. In many studies, it can be found that moderate participation in the specialty coffee market also positively affects the income of small-scale coffee farmers.

If farmers only sold a portion (about 25%) of their harvest for specialty coffee farming use, their annual coffee income could increase by 30%.

Based on these findings, a pretty solid scenario has been established: if farmers had their entire crop of specialty coffees grown, their coffee income could increase by 120%. Although this requires optimum farm and cooperative performance, it is indeed a positive sign for improving farmers’ livelihoods.

In both cases, additional income is achieved when higher coffee prices are received. And importantly, increased income from specialty coffee can be achieved without the need for additional land or external influences. Such as artificial fertilizers, irrigation, herbicides and pesticides.

As an immediate example, it can be seen that, after being sold, Yayu Forest project coffee was purchased in large enough quantities to enter two major UK supermarkets (Sainsbury’s and Waitrose), and sold in stores and online .

Between 2015 and 2018, a total of £924,751 of Specialty coffee was sold from five Yayu cooperatives, the majority of which generate additional revenue for the community.

Yayu Forest Coffee has now entered its seventh year and continues to maintain strong consumer demand. The $0.20/lb forest conservation fee, which has been converted into a 25p (per pack) retail coffee donation, will go to the Yayu community and ongoing research.

Ethiopian coffee farmers

Forest ecosystem and the development of coffee trees: Ability to control and protect the environment

Another important element of the study proved that the coffee sold under the name Yayu forest is actually associated with the forest ecosystem.

Using satellite imagery, you will be able to show that Yayu coffee farms have a very uniform level of cover and canopy strength close to the wild forest. In addition, statistics have shown that the Yayu area has experienced only a small amount of deforestation in the past two decades, which was recorded at the end of 2017.

Although aspirations for biodiversity conservation and agriculture are often at odds, what can be in common is the opportunity for both biodiversity conservation and crop livelihoods. Supply chain has worked hard and made great progress in understanding and developing the value chain in Yayu, in a way that supports and sustains these relationships.

In another case, the study was carried out in March 2022 with the aim of assessing the effects of coffee acreage on the regeneration of natural forest ecosystems in Gidame Wearda, Western Ethiopia. The study site is divided into two layers: primary natural forest and disturbed coffee forest.

The systematic and sustained expansion of coffee trees in natural forests has significantly affected the natural regeneration of indigenous tree species here. The density of seedlings, young trees and mature tree species is 94.83%, 90.45% and 53.51%, respectively, compared to primary natural forest.
Therefore, the results of this study indicate that preserving the natural forest ecosystem and enhancing its regeneration potential should be widely recognized and disseminated. Experts have assessed the regeneration status over time of this forest area to determine the current status of the forest and take appropriate conservation measures for the remaining natural forest.

However, they still encourage minimizing the expansion of coffee trees in the natural forest in order to prioritize forest conservation through participation of local communities and raising environmental awareness among forest user groups. .

While the most sustainable forest coffee production can also have some negative environmental consequences, they are fundamentally less impactful than many other types of coffee farming. For example, large-scale deforestation for swidden cultivation and monoculture with inputs that are harmful to the environment.

The problem for consumers is that it is difficult for them to understand the good and bad effects of the environment that can be caused by their purchasing choices.

Together with 43 Factory Coffee Roaster, build a sustainable ecosystem for our planet with valuable and humane coffee touches.