Shaded-Coffee: A Nature-Based Strategy for Coffee Production Under Climate Change? A Review

Background

Coffee agroforestry systems are a natural climate solution that are used to reduce the impact of coffee cultivation on ecosystem health. Coffee generates over $200 billion in income globally each year, so ensuring the efficiency and success of cultivation is crucial for human livelihood. Coffee agroforestry systems are often variable, and there lacks a compiled knowledge base about these systems and practices.

Goals and Methods

The authors conduct a literature review on coffee production in field experiments that use varying quantities of shade in agroforestry implementation in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of how shade impacts coffee production and best practices to implement. This review will help practitioners and scientists decide whether shaded-coffee production is a viable natural climate solution.

Conclusions and Takeaways

The authors find that many smallholder farms have sound practices on shading and shade management. Shaded coffee systems alter both aboveground and belowground conditions, as well as the characteristics of the coffee itself. There may be trade-offs in flower production or photosynthetic rates depending on the quantity of shade, with drought also playing an important role. The authors conclude that coffee agroforestry systems should be highly subjective and variable to meet the needs of the farmers as well as account for local conditions.