The Bird Friendly® program aims to protect the most quality habitat from the threat of deforestation under the Bird Friendly seal. Bird Friendly coffees come from farms using a combination of foliage cover, tree height and biodiversity to provide quality habitat for birds and other wildlife. It is easy to remember—the gold seal represents the Smithsonian gold standard in conservation.
"Smithsonian Bird Friendly is eager to participate in the Sustainable Coffee Challenge not only to share our scientific expertise in conservation, biodiversity and coffee agroforestry, but also to learn from and grow sustainably with challenge partners."
Enroll at least 4 farms in 2018 in our “Taking Flight” program to support farms in transition to Bird Friendly biodiversity and shade standards by guaranteeing a market for transitional crops, a significant premium for Bird Friendly crops or helping with costs associated with production changes and reforestation.
Consult challenge participants on native and naturalized tree, shrub, vine and herbaceous species that coffee farmers can use for food, fiber and other uses, as well enhance and diversify income. This will lessen dependence on external sources for such products.
Begin the transition of at least one full-sun or poorly-shaded farm to Bird Friendly agroforest standards.
Begin to systematically monitor the economic benefit of the certification for producers and capture their attitudes linked to Bird Friendly to ensure its added value. Results from this surveying will inform a review of the certification’s pricing model.
Better understand agroforestry’s role in biomass/carbon sequestration in order to be able to recommend courses of action to producers and to businesses on which farm-level practices to promote to maximize these processes.
Partner with at least one organization or initiative assisting farmers in climate change adaptation and promote the use of shade as a climate change mitigation/yield maximization technique.
Conduct and analyze research investigating different land use models, especially as they relate to conservation and certification standards. If research reveals additional or wider conservation value of other land use practices, modifications to certification criteria will be incorporated by 2020-2021.
Assist at least one farm in reclaiming degraded lands like pastures and supporting their ecological restoration. This technique has previously been used not only to reforest denuded areas but also to restore water resources in terms of water flow (quantity) and quality.
