The Coffee Days are organized every year by the Collectif Café, the professional confederation of roasters and actors of the artisanal coffee. Agroforestry is celebrated.
An opportunity to take stock of this practice that means everything and nothing in the coffee shop ;) and the approach of L'Arbre à Café.
Arabica trees fear the bite of the sun which is severe in the tropics. It is therefore customary to shelter the coffee trees under trees. This is a very common practice in producing countries. Nothing extraordinary then.
At L'Arbre à Café, 100% of our coffees are grown in agroforestry and diversified agroforestry. 100% and diversified, that's extraordinary! Why is this so?
Because this practice is exceptional in countries with large-scale farming. In Brazil, agroforestry and even the presence of trees in plantations is unbelievable. Pivot cultivation, mechanization, cultivation in full sun is the overwhelming norm.
Only a few huluberlus have chosen agroforestry. This has always been the case with the producers of L'Arbre à Café : Fazenda Camocim known for its cultivation under Liquidambar and Fazenda de Nelson of the Iapar Diamantina under Silver Oak. 100% agroforestry is therefore extraordinary indeed because at home, even Brazil is included! Same for robusta :)
Because this practice is rarely conceived as an arch of biodiversity and symbiosis between coffee trees and other trees.
Agroforestry has a thousand and one virtues:
- additional income for the producer,
- buffer for heavy rains,
- fight against gullying and soil exhaustion,
- improvements in organic matter and humus,
- improvement of soil biodiversity and mycorrhizae,
- shelter for insect and animal populations
- etc.
Learn more about agroforestry by clicking here
Because our Mariposa farm is a laboratory of biodiversity in this field since more than 40 native species have been planted there by our care! To know more about it
Diversified agroforestry is therefore not an option at L'Arbre à Café, but an everyday necessity!
