Planting the right trees help coffee crops thrive
Coffee Likes Shade
1
min
Natural protection
Farmer Dương Thanh Sâm knows how important it is to shelter his crops. “Coffee trees love shade,” he says. These shade-givers help Sâm to better care for his crop as one of the methods he implements to guard them from potential damage caused by heavy rain, strong winds, erosion and excessive sunlight. Trees that provide shade can even contribute to soil health and provide organic matter that supports soil fertility and foster a balanced ecosystem. But perhaps most importantly, they prolong the natural ripening process which ultimately impacts on the quality of the yield.
Multiple benefits
Along with Sâm and other farmers around the world we host interactive training sessions where we explain the benefits of growing trees within coffee farms. This provides shade, can improve biodiversity, protect water bodies, reduce soil erosion and increase organic matter, while removing carbon from the atmosphere.
But it’s not a one size fits all solution. Here we use our scientific expertise and extensive local knowledge to find the best companion for the coffee trees in each region.
Trees for the future
Sâm sees the benefits of intercropping with shade-givers like the tall pepper tree, a species that aligns to his farm’s ecosystem. “My hope is that it will bring economic efficiency" he says. This future-focused approach excites him. “I hope that in ten years’ time, my farm – as seen from an online map – will be covered in green,” he smiles. “But for now, there are other benefits. We sit in the shade of trees to take a break and chill,” he says.
