Print PageCoffee production represents a challenge to practitioners interested in environmental justice and food sovereignty. On the one hand, a considerable amount of ecological research has demonstrated that organic, shaded and ecological coffee systems can harbor high levels of biodiversity and provide a high quality agricultural matrix for the maintenance of biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. On the other hand, coffee is not food consumed locally but a tropical commodity exchanged in international markets that are out of the reach of small-scale farmers. As ecologists interested in social and environmental justice, how do we reconcile these opposing characteristics of coffee production systems? In this talk I will highlight the economic and ecological importance of coffee in Central America, review the literature on the role of coffee in maintaining biological diversity and ecosystem functions as well as the role of traditional coffee systems in providing a variety of food and other products that contribute to farmer's livelihoods. Finally I will discuss alternative trade systems such a fair trade and direct producer-consumer connection schemes and their role in promoting environmental justice and food sovereignty in coffee growing regions.
Results/Conclusions
Shaded organic coffee systems represent the best option for small and medium scale farmers as well as for biodiversity conservation. In addition to the conservation of biodiversity these diverse systems provide ecosystem services in the form of enhanced pest control, buffering against climatic variability and extremes, and carbon sequestrations, among other ecosystem services. Diverse organic coffee systems also can contribute to the diversification of the diet of farming families and income security. However, only when farmers engage in fair trade and/or direct selling to consumers can the economic benefits of these diverse systems be fully realized.
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