City of Oldsmar, Florida Sustainable Coffee, 7 Nov 2016

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From YouTube: Economics of Sustainable Coffee

Description

Cornell University scientist Amanda Rodewald and economist Juan Nicolás Hernandez-Aguilera are collaborating on a project to look at the ecological and socio-economic aspects of sustainable coffee.

For more Information: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/en-colombia-el-cafe-cultivado-bajo-sombra-sostiene-tanto-a-las-aves-como-a-las-personas/, or http://bit.ly/coffeeLabels

To learn about Bird Research and Shade-Grown Coffee visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fXBZ-a4ohk

Film by Chris Foito/Cornell Lab of Ornithology

A

Sustainability is a word that we use a lot these days.

A

It can mean a lot of different things.

A

in the case of shade coffee,. The choices that we’re making about the coffee we buy, are.

A

Directly affecting the livelihoods in the andes.

B

What we are doing, now, here in colombia,, is that we are trying to understand the environmental,.

B

Economical, and technological impact of growers who participate in the specialty, coffee, markets.

B

We are using the data that we are collecting with dr. amanda rodewald to understand these.

B

Interactions between socioeconomic aspects and environmental protection.

A

In order to understand what the outcomes of different coffee management decisions are.

A

For the environment, and people, and the economy, and the quality of coffee, we’re working.

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With a really diverse group of people.

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from people who are good at knowing the quality of the beans, to economists,, to biologists,,.

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Educators, social scientists…so: it really is a team effort to try and better understand what.

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We need to do to be more sustainable.

B

Something that is very important in our research is that we are involving young people in order.

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To help us to make the surveys and to analyze the coffee, landscape.

B

Once the young people arrive to the field, they start.

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With an interview. in this interview we have different sections.

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socioeconomic questions, questions about the community, and questions about coffee, production.

B

After that, they do transects,, they count three by three: the numbers of coffee, trees.

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Also, the trees different than coffee and with the gps, we are taking altitude.

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And after that they try to identify to bird species that are on that particular farm..

B

So basically, we are integrating all the variables for each grower.

B

With all this data,, we are trying to find interactions.

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Interactions that highlights that coffee is not just a product for income.

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Or just a product for environmental protection,, but it’s a program where you can integrate.

B

These aspects in a sustainable way.

A

It’S important to find approaches to conservation where we can provide good habitat for birds.

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And other biodiversity,, but at the same time,, find ways that people can use the landscape.

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C

If there are more trees on a coffee farm,, there will be less production,, but it will.

C

Be of a better quality.

B

Sun grown coffee will produce more,, but it will be of a lesser quality.

D

On the other hand, with trees,, there will be less production,, but better quality.

A

Shade trees also provide many environmental benefits.

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They prevent erosion and landslides, and nutrients and store carbon, and provide habitat for.

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Birds and other species.

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There is an opportunity for growers who produce, higher qualities, but to participate in this.

B

Kind of markets, they also have to make some investments.

B

The problem is the investment that they need to do, the risk that is involved in this kind.

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Of production., the benefits that you are going to receive are only long-term benefits.

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But for smallholder growers who are poor,, they need those benefits and this income soon.

B

They definitely need some support at some point, and the support not only comes from.

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Institutions or from government,, but also from consumers.

D

Knowing that, when you pay for that cup of coffee, you are paying a producer to do things.

D

D

Like in all businesses, there are always difficulties and we have identified one of those main challenges.

D

Is making coffee production profitable and sustainable so that new generations will want.

D

To coninue working in the coffee, industry.

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If you can buy coffee of the highest standards, yeah, do that, that’s great.

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But if you can’t, it’s not worth giving up completely, because every little bit helps.