Bird Friendly® Coffee Coalition_Marketing a Safer Cup of Coffee for Migratory Birds

Willistown Conservation Trust Bird Friendly® Coffee Coalition

Black-throated Blue Warbler by Katy Mae

Marketing a Safer Cup of Coffee for Migratory Birds

Wood Thrush by Donna Kruszewski

THE PROBLEM “It’s imperative to address immediate and ongoing threats, both because the domino effects can lead to the decay of ecosystems that humans depend on for our own health and livelihoods — and because people all over the world cherish birds in their own right. Can you imagine a world without birdsong?”

-Pete Marra

Since 1970, bird populations in the U.S. and Canada have declined by 29%, or almost 3 billion birds, signaling a widespread ecological crisis. The largest factor driving these declines is likely the widespread loss and degradation of habitat, especially due to agricultural intensification and urbanization (Science, 2019).

Coffee is cultivated across 27 million acres, mostly at the expense of tropical forests.

Traditionally a shade-loving tree grown in tropical uplands, a sun-tolerant variety was introduced in 1972 to allow for increased production. Now three-quarters of the world's coffee farms destroy rainforest habitat to grow coffee in the sun and often use harmful pesticides and fertilizers that poison the environment (Data from SMBC).

When forests disappear, so do migratory songbirds. One third of North American bird species are in urgent need of conservation action to avoid extinction. Many of our beautiful migrants like the Baltimore Oriole, Cape May Warbler, and Wood Thrush seek shade coffee farms in Central and South America for overwintering habitat…if they can find them.

Cape May Warbler by Blake Goll

THE SOLUTION Protect critical bird habitat by choosing Bird Friendly® coffee. Differentiate your brand, and help your community migrate to the best in biodiversity by adding a Bird Friendly® roast to your lineup.

WHAT IS BIRD FRIENDLY®? It’s made in the shade.

In addition to being organic, Smithsonian Bird Friendly® coffee is grown under a shade canopy of native trees, shrubs, and other plants that provide critical refuge for migratory and local birds as well as the diverse flora and fauna of the tropical forest.

Simply being grown in the shade is not enough. To qualify as Smithsonian Bird Friendly®, at least 60% of shade trees on a coffee or cocoa farm must be native.

Native trees support a greater abundance and diversity of insects than non-native trees, ensuring migratory birds can fuel up on quality nutrients before migration.

Image courtesy of Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

What’s more, Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification is the environmental gold standard in sustainable food production. When you sell Bird Friendly® coffee or cacao you are not only supporting bird conservation but also fighting climate change, protecting biodiversity, and supporting farmers committed to sustainability.

Over 240 species of birds are found on shade-grown coffee farms — more than three times the number found on partial shade or sun fields.

Gray-cheeked Thrush by Blake Goll

OUR MISSION We strive to conserve and regenerate tropical bird habitat by increasing awareness and demand for Bird Friendly® coffee and cacao through educating and encouraging roasters, merchants, and the public.

OUR REACH Willistown Conservation Trust

WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST BIRD FRIENDLY® COFFEE COALITION You can help us bring birds back from the brink by being conscientious of the coffee you drink!

WHAT YOU GET BY JOINING The Profile Better tasting coffee because shadegrown coffee beans ripen slowly, resulting in a richer flavor Association with the Smithsonian Institution’s cutting-edge research, conservation work, brand recognition and Bird Friendly® marketing approach

Facebook | 2.9K followers Instagram | 2.9K followers Semi-annual Newsletter | Distributed to over 2,900 households in our program area Public Events | Over 100 events annually reaching over 1,500 community members

Collaboration with Willistown Conservation Trust, a local organization making a broad impact on bird conservation Connection to Coalition members including merchants committed to carrying Bird Friendly® coffee Peace of mind knowing you are helping to brew a more biodiverse, sustainable world

THE GRIND FOR ROASTERS Label Collaboration | When a roaster agrees to create a coffee with select beans from a farm registered with the Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification, we will work with them to create an eyecatching front and back label that reflects the roaster’s style as well as our mission. Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) guides the design of this label, but the roaster assumes the usual costs of production; a negotiable percentage of the sales may be donated to WCT, tax deductible to the roaster.

Consumer Education | The back label will include information about Bird Friendly® coffee as well as a QR code to WCT’s website for buyers to learn more. This informational page on our website will list you as a participating roaster as well as link to your website for ordering.

FOR ROASTERS & MERCHANTS Exposure | We will use social media to promote your business and direct Bird Friendly® coffee sales your way. You will also be invited to special roaster events at WCT, represented at applicable public outreach events, promoted in our publications, and eligible for our WCT education staff to visit your store(s) for public engagement lectures on Bird Friendly® coffee and bird conservation.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF ROASTERS In exchange for the use of the Smithsonian Bird Friendly® trademark and logo, you will be required to sign a license agreement with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) and provide the Smithsonian Bird Friendly® Team with a semi-annual report on the amount of Bird Friendly® coffee you sell and its origins. Roasters are also required to pay a royalty (10 cents per pound of Bird Friendly® coffee sold) to the Smithsonian Bird Friendly® program, which helps fuel cutting-edge ornithological research and the Bird Friendly® Coffee Program.

This is a small price to pay for collaboration with the renowned SMBC who will provide roasters with support and updates along the way!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS How many brands of coffee are certified as Bird Friendly® by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC)?

SMBC lists 150 Bird Friendly® certified coffees on their website (from about 40 roasters).

Does Smithsonian certification include social issues as well?

SMBC Bird Friendly® requirements include that the farm be organic, but they do not require Fair Trade; however, many of the roasters list additional certifications like Fair Trade.

Is it true that only Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification can be trusted to be bird friendly?

This is true. SMBC requires compliance on a stringent list of criteria that essentially amounts to dense shade canopy having been conserved or regenerated to the extent that there is enough biodiversity and complexity to provide quality habitat that rivals undisturbed forests. A third party Bird Friendly® certification agency actually inspects the farms for these criteria. Other certifications are not as strict. For example, “Rainforest Alliance Certified” only requires 40 % of the farm to be under canopy cover and allows the farmers to use chemicals like pesticides.

Bird Friendly® coffee is the only option on the market that guarantees 100% of coffee beans roasted and sold are grown in a way that protects habitat.

How does Bird Friendly® certified coffee compare in cost to noncertified coffee?

It’s on par with artisan or specialty roasted coffee ($13-$17 per bag).

Some Bird Friendly® coffees do cost a few cents more per cup than conventional coffee, but this is a small price to pay for the benefits to birds and other wildlife, coffee farmers, and the health of the planet!

How does Bird Friendly® Coffee relate to climate change?

According to a report from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, under current climate predictions, about half of the world’s coffee producing land will be unsuitable for growing coffee by 2050. The forested habitat found on Bird Friendly® certified farms makes them more resilient to climate emergencies, like erosion from storms and damage from insect pests. In preserving trees and forests, Bird Friendly® farms also help combat climate change by sequestering carbon.

Does Bird Friendly® coffee taste better than conventional coffee?

Coffee experts say Bird Friendly® coffees taste better, because the beans ripen slower than coffee grown in the full sun, resulting in a richer, more complex flavor. The beans grown in the shade of other plants develop more natural sugars and lower acidity, resulting in a healthier cup for your body.

American Redstart. Photo by Aaron Coolman.

Scan for more resources and information about Willistown Conservation Trust Bird Friendly® Coffee Coalition

Saving, studying, and sharing land, water, and habitat

Found 20 miles west of Philadelphia, Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) is an accredited nonprofit land trust that focuses on 28,000 acres in Chester and Delaware Counties. Founded in 1996, WCT has helped permanently conserve over 7,500 acres, including three nature preserves open to the public.

WCT offers six renowned programs for public engagement and research: Bird Conservation, Community Farm, Education and Outreach, Land Protection, Stewardship, and Watershed Protection.

Since 2010, WCT’s Bird Conservation Program has been dedicated to advancing avian research, educating the public, and protecting bird habitats.

CONTACT Willistown Conservation Trust 925 Providence Road Newtown Square, PA 19073 wctrust.org | 610-353-2562 Blake Goll | bhg@wctrust.org Education Programs Manager Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute 3001 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington, DC 20008 nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds BirdFriendly@si.edu Bird Friendly Program Manager

Baltimore Oriole by Aaron Coolman

Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) is dedicated to understanding, conserving and championing the grand phenomenon of bird migration. Founded in 1991, and located at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., SMBC scientists seek to clarify why migratory bird populations are declining before the situation becomes desperate. Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center programs help raise awareness about migratory birds and the need to protect diverse habitats across the Western Hemisphere.