Major Cultivation of Coffee - Essay Example

A complete shutdown of such activity is not recommended but there sure is space to carry out such activities in line with conservation of the forests and ecosystems. Luckily, small-sized forests that are not considered for major cultivation, hence, are conserved.

A way to address this issue is to cultivate coffee on shade-grown farms. There are many added advantages to such cultivation. Firstly, it delivers a long list of forest products. These products include fruits. Medicines and lumber apart from coffee. Shade-grown coffee farms not only address social and economic needs but also meet a large list of ecological essentials.

Forest covers are maintained with the use of shade-grown coffee and it minimizes erosion when compared to other coffee cultivating methods and agricultural systems. The leading examples are pasture for cattle grazing and sun coffee. Agroforestry provides a natural habitat for many birds. It is believed that birds not only reduce pest but also enhances their quality by bringing the damage to a minimum level. The retention of nutrients and the chemistry of the soil also have a great impact on the quality of coffee produced.

Around 5- 10% of the retail price of coffee goes to the farmers while the most coffee-growing areas are 50 developing nations of the world. The corporate sector controls most of the coffee cultivation and around two-fifth of the coffee market is controlled by big corporate giants such as Nestle, Sara Lee, Kraft, and P & G. These corporate giants are also responsible for controlling more than three-quarters of the US coffee market.

Farmers in areas like Guatemala are paid extremely low for picking coffee berries. On average $2.50 is paid for picking 100 pounds of coffee berries. Hence, fair trade policies are essential and should be enforced.

The supply change of coffee starts from the producers and after passing through the processors, exporter, importer, and roaster is passed on to the retailer and consumer.