Free Trees Give Costa Rican Coffee Farmers a Double Shot by Wendy Burton, CEO, World Tree
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osta Rican coffee farmers are planting 10,000 free trees as part of an initiative to tackle climate change launched by Canadian company World Tree. The specially selected Empress Splendor trees provide much-needed shade for their organically grown coffee and a new revenue stream for the farmers. World Tree chose the Empress Splendor for planting because it is the fastest growing tree in the world (source: The Guinness Book of World Records). Within just 6 months, the trees can grow 10 feet or more, providing critical protection for the coffee plants which need shade for optimal growth. The Empress Splendor trees not only create shade for the coffee, they also provide a second revenue stream to farmers. The trees grow so fast that they can be harvested for lumber within 7-10 years. They produce a valuable lightweight, straight-grained hardwood that can be used for finishings,
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Innovations for a better world. November 2016
furniture, veneers, sailboats, surfboards and many other applications. World Tree takes a hands-on approach, helping the farmers manage and grow the trees, providing ongoing education, and finally brokering the sale of the lumber. Half of the revenue from the sale of the wood is given to the farmer. When the tree is harvested, it re-grows from the stump and will continue to provide both shade and income to the farmers for 50 years or more. In Costa Rica, shade-grown coffee plants are twice as productive as sun-grown and consistently yield higher prices for their higher-quality beans. However, farmers sometimes struggle to find the best trees to plant. For example, the eucalyptus tree has a shallow root system that competes with the coffee plant. Another popular choice is the poros tree, however farmers complain that it requires a lot of maintenance. The Empress trees not only protect the coffee, but their deep root systems also bring nutrients and water to the surface of the soil to feed the coffee plants. “I’ve heard that the Empress Splendor has many benefits for the environment and for us as coffee growers,” says Mauro Solis, a farmer participating in the program. “The carbon capture is important for our sustainability, and we are also very happy to get the benefit of extra income in 10 years.”