Shade Grown Coffee
What is Coffee Shade Grown?
Producers maintain or plant shade trees over coffee shrubs. The canopy offers ecosystem benefits, supports soil and water health, and moderates microclimates—important in hot, sunny regions.
There are to main ways of
Why shade-grown matters
- Encourages ecosystem richness (birds, insects, soil life)
- Protects trees and soil from temperature swings and erosion
- May enhance cup quality by regulating cherry development
Shade-grown in speciality vs commercial
- Speciality coffee is frequently cultivated using methods that improve environmental impact and enhance cup clarity.
- Commercial coffee is often grown in full sun to maximise yield (as this allows farmers to plant their coffee plants closer together), sometimes at the expense of sustainability and quality.
Where Nordic Approach fits in
Nordic Approach tends to buy from locations at high elevation where there is more natural coverage.
We don’t exclusively source from shade-grown systems, but we do recognise their potential benefits for farm health, biodiversity, and cup quality. Our role is to understand the realities our suppliers face each season and assess coffee based on quality, traceability, and sustainability where possible.
Different types of shade grown coffee
1. intentionally Cropped with non coffee type trees to provide shade.
2. Forest coffee in Ethiopia and certain parts of South-American
Mostly
Matters because