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
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
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
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
