New Research confirms how Shade Grown Coffee stores more carbon than Sun Grown Coffee

A powerful new study published in the famous Nature scientific journal reveals why conserving mature shade forests deserves more recognition and reward than planting new trees alone.

The researchers estimate that coffee farms worldwide already store about 482 million metric tons of above ground carbon, but what’s interesting is how more carbon is stored with sun grown vs shade grown coffee plantations.

Indeed, the researchers estimated that if all sun grown coffee farms were replanted with shade trees, they would store an additional 82–87 million metric tons of carbon.

At the same time, stripping existing shade farms could release 174–221 million metric tons of stored carbon.
Carbon credits often favour planting new trees while ignoring the value of preserving mature canopies.

This focus risks penalizing the very systems—shade‑grown, biodiverse farms—that are climate and bird conservation champions.Studies show that farms shaded by a mix of native tree species support roughly four times more bird species than unshaded sun farms. That’s why Bird Friendly certification—rooted in this science—matters so much.Supporting mature shade isn’t just good for coffee—it’s essential for climate, biodiversity and coffee communities. Bird & Wild urges industry and policymakers to design carbon market standards that reward conservation, not just planting.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02574-w