{"id":33042,"date":"2025-07-20T08:00:54","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T12:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rainydaymagazine.com\/wp\/?p=33042"},"modified":"2025-07-22T19:34:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T23:34:45","slug":"bird-friendly-coffee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rainydaymagazine.com\/wp\/2025\/07\/20\/bird-friendly-coffee\/","title":{"rendered":"Bird Friendly Coffee"},"content":{"rendered":"

How strong is your coffee?\u00a0 <\/span>Is it strong enough to save a life?<\/p>\n

Coffee drinkers love so many things about their brew:\u00a0 <\/span>the aroma, the taste, the caffeine, the daily ritual\u2026. But how many of us select our coffee because it protects the environment, saves lives, and fosters economic development?\u00a0 <\/span>We can.<\/p>\n

North America lost about three billion birds in the last 50 years.\u00a0 <\/span>You read that correctly.\u00a0 <\/span>The bird population in North America has dropped by about THREE BILLION<\/a> (that\u2019s \u201cbillion\u201d with a B) since the 1970s.\u00a0 <\/span>.<\/p>\n

Many people might wonder what they can do to address such devastating environmental news.\u00a0 <\/span>One surprising answer is, \u201cDrink better coffee!\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>Again, you read that correctly.\u00a0 <\/span>Drinking better coffee can improve the environment and help protect birds.<\/p>\n

Many birds that spend Spring and Summer in North America migrate to coffee-growing regions in and around Central America for the Winter.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s like a giant funnel.\u00a0 <\/span>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. \u00a0 <\/span>Similar phenomena occur in other parts of the world.<\/p>\n

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This makes bird populations in coffee-growing regions very dense during the winter.\u00a0 <\/span>As a consequence, protecting habitat in coffee-growing regions is crucial for protecting birds throughout North America (and the world).<\/p>\n

If you were a bird in a coffee-growing region,\u00a0 <\/span>where would you rather be?\u00a0 <\/span>In a habitat containing all the native trees you evolved to live in, with all the bugs you like to eat?\u00a0 <\/span>Or would you instead choose to live in an area where all your favorite trees had been cut down and replaced with coffee plants?\u00a0 <\/span>There\u2019s more than one way to grow coffee.\u00a0 <\/span>Some ways protect birds and others don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, scientists have already studied the coffee industry and learned which coffee growing techniques protect birds and their habitat.\u00a0 <\/span>You\u2019ve probably seen the \u201cFair Trade\u201d stamp on some products you\u2019ve bought.\u00a0 <\/span>Well, there\u2019s another stamp you might not have seen.\u00a0 <\/span>There\u2019s a stamp that says \u201cBird Friendly.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>The Smithsonian (that\u2019s right – the same Smithsonian of the museums in Washington, D.C.) certifies coffee growers and roasters that produce their coffee in bird-friendly ways.\u00a0 <\/span>If you buy a bag of coffee that bears the \u201cBird Friendly\u201d stamp, you\u2019ll be rewarding coffee growers who protect birds.\u00a0 <\/span>You\u2019ll also be encouraging other coffee growers to adopt techniques that protect bird habitat so they can use the \u201cBird Friendly\u201d stamp too.<\/p>\n

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This link<\/a> has lots of information about the Bird Friendly program and also has a list of companies that sell Bird Friendly coffee.<\/p>\n

I buy Bird Friendly coffee online.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s easy to do and there are lots of providers.\u00a0 <\/span>My personal favorite is the Honduras Pitch Black<\/a> from Birds and Beans of Canada<\/a>.\u00a0 <\/span>But that\u2019s just me and my preference for super dark and rich coffee.\u00a0 <\/span>Many other Bird Friendly tastes and roasts are available, and I haven\u2019t come close to trying them all.<\/p>\n

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Also, while it\u2019s 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.\u00a0 <\/span>So buy some Bird Friendly coffee.\u00a0 <\/span>If you like it, encourage your local stores and coffee shops to carry your favorites.\u00a0 <\/span>And when you reel off all the things you love about your Bird Friendly coffee, don\u2019t forget to mention that it is strong – strong enough to save a life.<\/p>\n

Richard Goldenberg – a coffee-loving birder who lives in Newton, MA.<\/p>\n

Links to items mentioned:<\/strong><\/p>\n