Bird Friendly Coffee
Good for you, great for the birds!!!
How strong is your coffee? Is it strong enough to save a life?
Coffee drinkers love so many things about their brew: the aroma, the taste, the caffeine, the daily ritual…. But how many of us select our coffee because it protects the environment, saves lives, and fosters economic development? We can.
North America lost about three billion birds in the last 50 years. You read that correctly. The bird population in North America has dropped by about THREE BILLION (that’s “billion” with a B) since the 1970s. .
Many people might wonder what they can do to address such devastating environmental news. One surprising answer is, “Drink better coffee!” Again, you read that correctly. Drinking better coffee can improve the environment and help protect birds.
Many birds that spend Spring and Summer in North America migrate to coffee-growing regions in and around Central America for the Winter. It’s like a giant funnel. Migratory birds with populations that spread out from California to Maine and beyond (the big part of the funnel) during the summer crunch down into the coffee-growing regions (the narrow part of the funnel) for the winter. Similar phenomena occur in other parts of the world.
This makes bird populations in coffee-growing regions very dense during the winter. As a consequence, protecting habitat in coffee-growing regions is crucial for protecting birds throughout North America (and the world).
If you were a bird in a coffee-growing region, where would you rather be? In a habitat containing all the native trees you evolved to live in, with all the bugs you like to eat? Or would you instead choose to live in an area where all your favorite trees had been cut down and replaced with coffee plants? There’s more than one way to grow coffee. Some ways protect birds and others don’t.
Thankfully, scientists have already studied the coffee industry and learned which coffee growing techniques protect birds and their habitat. You’ve probably seen the “Fair Trade” stamp on some products you’ve bought. Well, there’s another stamp you might not have seen. There’s a stamp that says “Bird Friendly.” The Smithsonian (that’s right – the same Smithsonian of the museums in Washington, D.C.) certifies coffee growers and roasters that produce their coffee in bird-friendly ways. If you buy a bag of coffee that bears the “Bird Friendly” stamp, you’ll be rewarding coffee growers who protect birds. You’ll also be encouraging other coffee growers to adopt techniques that protect bird habitat so they can use the “Bird Friendly” stamp too.
This link has lots of information about the Bird Friendly program and also has a list of companies that sell Bird Friendly coffee.
I buy Bird Friendly coffee online. It’s easy to do and there are lots of providers. My personal favorite is the Honduras Pitch Black from Birds and Beans of Canada. But that’s just me and my preference for super dark and rich coffee. Many other Bird Friendly tastes and roasts are available, and I haven’t come close to trying them all.
Also, while it’s wonderful that buying Bird Friendly coffee online is easy, it would be even better if Bird Friendly coffees were available in stores and coffee shops. So buy some Bird Friendly coffee. If you like it, encourage your local stores and coffee shops to carry your favorites. And when you reel off all the things you love about your Bird Friendly coffee, don’t forget to mention that it is strong – strong enough to save a life.
Richard Goldenberg – a coffee-loving birder who lives in Newton, MA.
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