Research shows that shade planting can help coffee farmers maximize their interests.

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Coffee growers can maximize profits by converting 1/3 to 2/3 of their farmland into shade, according to a groundbreaking new study that attempts to quantify economic associations by moving away from traditional direct exposure farming practices.

In a paper published in the journal Ecological Economics in May, researchers from Columbia University and Cornell University explored the potential economic incentives for coffee producers to shift from direct exposure to shaded growth to mimic traditional forest canopies, in which trees provide more biodiversity, including pest-eating birds.

Direct exposure to coffee is usually associated with higher yields because shade may limit the development of whole leaves and fruits. On the other hand, full Sunshine Coffee also has higher associated input costs, increasing soil degradation, deforestation, lack of diversity, and other host environmental problems that threaten the future of coffee itself.

A major component of the study and its economic models relate to the ability of farmers to plant for shade-or, in other words, more environmentally friendly coffee-to attract a price premium. It therefore emphasizes the need for coffee traders and sellers to promote to consumers the economic and quality-related benefits of growing coffee under shade.

"our estimates can guide the design of market mechanisms aimed at promoting sustainable coffee practices," study author JuanNicol á s Hernandez-Aguilera said in a profile released by Columbia University's International Institute for Climate and Society. "in other words, the effective implementation of these tools depends to a large extent on the promotion and understanding of the interaction between shaded coffee, environmental protection and product quality among coffee consumers."

For this paper, the researchers used a resource economics method called dynamic optimization to simulate farmers' decision to transform their land from traditional full sunlight to shadow production. It takes into account the expected yield and the cost of each system, the benefits from increased pest control by birds, and the price premium for high-quality, sustainably grown coffee.

Based on modelling-taking into account reduced pesticide costs and "appropriate market conditions", as well as other assumptions-studies have shown that at least 36 per cent of farms covering 5 hectares should be allocated for shade planting to maximize farmers' incomes.

This supports the previous assertion by coffee industry experts that the dialogue between sunshine and shadow should not be polarized, but that both shadow and sunlight can play a role in a given coffee farm to maximize profitability and sustainability.

If more research is made public, we plan to update this story.

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