The role of organic production in biodiversity conservation in shade coffee plantations

I researched the impact of organic agriculture in coffee plantations in Nicaragua. First, I compared the structure and composition of the shade tree layer in organic production and in conventional coffee plantations that use synthetic inputs. I found that organic certification per se does not affect tree cover composition or shade levels. However, coffee plantations infested with the fungus Mycena citricolor have significantly lower levels of shade than non-infested plantations. This effect is more evident in organic farms located in humid areas.In a separate field experiment, bird diversity and abundance were compared in organic and conventional shade coffee plantations over a two-year period. Farms were alike in structure and composition of the shade tree layer. Results indicate that bird diversity and abundance were not influenced by pesticide use in conventional plantations but were related to tree canopy structure and composition.Last, I present the results of a survey conducted in Nicaragua among coffee growers, agronomists and policy makers in the coffee sector. Both organic and conventional farmers are well aware of the environmental benefits of growing coffee under shade and preserving forest fragments. Medium to large farm owners maintain as much area under coffee cultivation as they have forest. Small farm owners prefer denser shade levels than medium and large farm owners but the preference for shade grown cultivation was almost unanimous. Agronomists and policy makers supported forest fragment preservation and growing coffee under shade. At the same time they favored certifying coffee grown inside protected areas as a tool to control pesticide use and expansion of coffee plantations. This presents an important challenge for certification agencies that in theory do not endorse coffee grown within protected areas.Results indicate that priority be given to encourage farmers to grow coffee under diverse shade. Strict organic standards should not be a prerequisite to certify coffee as bird-friendly. Additional attention should be given to the landscape setting, in particular the maintenance of forested patches. This approach is critical in areas where coffee is grown adjacent to the last fragments of cloud forests in the highlands of Central America.