Green Tip: Drink Coffee That’s Good for the Birds

Drink Coffee That’s Good for Birds in 2021

Adapted from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s “Seven Simple Actions to Help the Birds”

The problem: Three-quarters of the world’s coffee farms grow their plants in the sun, destroying forests that birds and other wildlife need for food and shelter. And, sun-grown coffee often requires using environmentally harmful pesticides and fertilizers. In contrast, shade-grown coffee preserves a forest canopy that helps migratory birds survive the winter.

The challenge: Too few consumers are aware of the problems of sun-grown coffee. Those who are aware may be reluctant to pay a little more for environmentally sustainable coffee.

Enjoy shade-grown coffee: It’s a win-win-win: it’s delicious, economically beneficial to coffee farmers, and helps more than 42 species of North American migratory songbirds that winter in coffee plantations, including orioles, warblers, and thrushes.

Take it further: Look for Bird Friendly coffee, a certification from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center that also includes organic standards. Educate coffee shops and grocery stores about shade-grown coffees! If your favorite coffee shop or brand doesn’t carry shade-grown coffee, write or talk to them about its importance to our summer bird friends.

For example, our ED, Caroline, reached out to Coffee by Design, which carries her favorite Italian Roast Decaf to ask this question and got a nice response from their Director of Coffee, Jeremy Behne. He responded that much of their coffee is Rainforest Alliance-certified but they have elected not to use the trademark. He added that many of their single origin coffees come from small farmers in mountainous regions that are not necessarily certified bird-friendly, but are shade-grown. He added that shade-grown coffee generally tastes better. So with a little bit of sleuthing, you can get some great information and let businesses know what’s important to you.

The bird population world-wide has declined by around 30% since the 1970s. We can’t afford to lose any more! To learn more about the causes of bird decline and what you can do to help, register for our January speaker, Barbara Snapp, who will discuss, Where Have All the Birdies Gone?

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Local Maine Retailers that sell Bird Friendly coffee:

Retail Name	Address	Phone	Roaster
Freeport Wild Bird Supply This retailer sells Bird Friendly coffee from roaster Birds & Beans.	541 Route One Freeport , ME 4032 United States See map: Google Maps	(207) 865-6000	Birds and Beans (US)
Hog Island Audubon Camp This retailer sells Bird Friendly coffee from roaster Birds & Beans.	12 Audubon Rd. Bremen , ME 4551 United States See map: Google Maps		Birds and Beans (US)
Hog Island Store This retailer sells Bird Friendly coffee from roaster Birds & Beans.	12 Audubon Rd Bremen , ME 4551 United States See map: Google Maps		Birds and Beans (US)
Lois” Natural Marketplace This retailer sells Bird Friendly coffee from roaster Birds & Beans.	152 US 1 Scarborough , ME4074 United States See map: Google Maps	(207) 885-0602	Birds and Beans (US)
Maine Audubon Nature Store This retailer sells Bird Friendly coffee from roaster Birds & Beans.	20 Gilsland Farm Road Falmouth , ME 4105 United States See map: Google Maps		Birds and Beans (US)
Rising Tide This retailer sells Bird Friendly coffee from roaster Birds & Beans.	323 Main Street Damariscotta , ME4543 United States See map: Google Maps	(207) 563-5556	Birds and Beans (US)
Whole Foods Market This retailer sells Bird Friendly coffee.	2 Somerset St. PORTLAND , ME United States See map: Google Maps	(207) 774-7711	Allegro Coffee