Why your choice of coffee
consumption  matters?

At Slow, we are all about
forests. That is, agroforests.

What you see on the right-hand side is an agroforest. In our world, this is how all coffee is supposed to grow: under the gentle shade of a diverse mix of native tree species.
This is a stark contrast to the industrial way of farming coffee – i.e. what you see on the left – monoculture.

Scroll down to find a comparison of these two very different ways
of growing coffee.

Canopy cover 0%

Canopy cover 32%

Average Trees per ha 

Bird Species

*The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center has discovered at least 180 species of birds in Mexican coffee agroforests. This is up to ten times more than the bird diversity found in monoculture coffee plantations studied elsewhere.Source: Greenberg, R. , P. Bichier and J. Sterling, 1997.

Inorganic agricultural chemicals applied / ha

*High-end of fertilizer application at 696 kg / and  10 kg /ha for pesticides. Capa, Perez-Esteban et al. Unsustainability of recommended fertilization rates for coffee monoculture due to high N2O emissions (2015); Clay, J; World agriculture and the environment: a commodity-by-commodity guide to impacts and practices (2013). Global MLR Database.

Why your choice of coffee 

consumption  matters?

At slow, we are all about forests. That is, agroforests.

What you see on the right-hand side is an agroforest. In our world, this is how all coffee is supposed to grow: under the gentle shade of a diverse mix of native tree species. This is a stark contrast to the industrial way of farming coffee – i.e. what you see on the left – monoculture.

Below you will find a comparison of these two very different ways of growing coffee:

Average Trees per ha 

0

Canopy cover 0%

376

Canopy cover 32%

Bird Species

18*

180

*The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center has discovered at least 180 species of birds in Mexican coffee agroforests. This is up to ten times more than the bird diversity found in monoculture coffee plantations studied elsewhere.Source: Greenberg, R. , P. Bichier and J. Sterling, 1997.

Inorganic agricultural chemicals applied / ha

18*

0

High-end of fertilizer application at 696 kg / and  10 kg /ha for pesticides. Capa, Perez-Esteban et al. Unsustainability of recommended fertilization rates for coffee monoculture due to high N2O emissions (2015); Clay, J; World agriculture and the environment: a commodity-by-commodity guide to impacts and practices (2013). Global MLR Database.

We at Slow work towards preserving forests and biodiversity though coffee growing based on three principles:

1. GROWING AGROFORESTRY COFFEE

Through paying premium prices and training and monitoring for Slow farmers, we promote and improve the growing of coffee on agroforestry farms

2. INCREASING SPECIES DIVERSITY ON FARMS

In addition to ensuring tree cover, Slow works towards increasing the number of different tree- and plant species grown on farms, to preserve biodiversity

3. ZERO DEFORESTATION

We make sure Slow coffee causes zero deforestation on coffee farms, or in other locations (leakage).

2021 Slow agroforestry statistics

SLOW COFFEE FARMS – OVERVIEW

186 ha

Total area under cultivation

122 ha Arabica-Robusta mix, 64 ha Pure Robusta

4.9 ha

Average land holding per household

3.3 ha

Median land holding per household

FARM AGROFORESTRY STATISTICS

96.2 %

Farms have canopy cover of 8% or more

32 %

Avarage canopy cover (weighted)

27 %

Or 42 ha reached bird-friendly or close to bird-friendly standartds in ecological quality

88

Total tree species observed

2021 Slow agroforestry statistics

FARMS WORKING WITH SLOW – OVERVIEW

186 ha

Total area under cultivation

122 ha Arabica-Robusta mix, 64 ha Pure Robusta

4.9 ha

Average land holding per household

3.3 ha

Median land holding per household

FARM AGROFORESTRY STATISTICS

96.2 %

Farms have canopy cover of 8% or more

32 %

Avarage canopy cover (weighted)

27 %

Or 42 ha reached bird-friendly or close to bird-friendly standartds in ecological quality

88

Total tree species observed