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Planters’ Chronicle Z December 2010 15 Coffee, Conservation, and Rainforest Alliance Certification: Opportunities for Indian coffee Joke Aerts 1 , Divya Mudappa 2 & T. R. Shankar Raman 2 1 Rainforest Alliance, Winchester House, 259-269 Old Marylebone Road, NW1 5RA London, UK (E-mail: [email protected]) 2 Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4 th Cross, Gokulam Park, Mysore 570002, India (E-mail: divya@ncf- india.org, [email protected]) Introduction As the Indian coffee industry strides into the 21 st century, two global trends are worth noting. First, the increasing awareness globally that coffee, especially where traditionally grown under the shade of native tree species, offers an opportunity for conservation of wildlife, forest and tree cover within agricultural landscapes. Scientific evidence that coffee can benefit conservation and,conversely, that conservation of natural forests, biodiversity and native shade trees in farms can directly benefit coffee production is accumulating from studies across the tropics from Costa Rica to Sulawesi and Mexico to India. Second, as the most- traded commodity after oil, coffee too is coming under the increased scrutiny of the informed buyer and sustainability-conscious consumer. The desire to know where coffee comes from, how it is grown, and purchase only sustainably-produced coffee that enhances the lives of farming communities and conserves the natural environment has spurred a burgeoning market powered by consumer demand. Roasters, retailers,coffee chains, and consumers are increasingly looking to source coffee from farms that are certified as sustainable through credible third-party certification programmes, particularly Rainforest Alliance certification. In this article, we highlight how the changing scenario creates a unique opportunity for Indian coffee. We present a non-technical summary of some key scientific studies that present the links between coffee and conservation. We then provide an introduction to the systems underlying Rainforest Alliance certification and the standards (good practices) that farms would need to adopt to become certified. We believe that the Indian coffee industry and farmers, workers and local communities, as well as forests and biodiversity stand to benefit from the adoption of good practices related to social and environmental sustainability, with concordant market benefits through certification. Agriculture and land-use conversion Agricultural expansion has historically been one of the greatest causes of forest loss and fragmentation worldwide.It remains one of the largest threats to the world’s remaining tropical forests (Achard et al. 2002). Additionally, during the next two decades, the human population is expected to grow Ms. Joke Aerts Dr. T.R.Shankar Raman

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Page 1: Coffee, Conservation, and Rainforest Alliance Certification: … · 2020-03-26 · extending conservation to landscapes outside designated protected areas, especially biodiversity

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Coffee, Conservation, and Rainforest AllianceCertification: Opportunities for Indian coffee

Joke Aerts1, Divya Mudappa2 & T. R. Shankar Raman2

1 Rainforest Alliance, Winchester House, 259-269 Old Marylebone Road, NW1 5RA London, UK (E-mail:[email protected])

2 Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4th Cross, Gokulam Park, Mysore 570002, India (E-mail: [email protected], [email protected])

IntroductionAs the Indian coffee industry strides into the21st century, two global trends are worthnoting. First, the increasing awarenessglobally that coffee, especially wheretraditionally grown under the shade of nativetree species, offers an opportunity forconservation of wildlife, forest and tree coverwithin agricultural landscapes. Scientificevidence that coffee can benefit conservationand,conversely, that conservation of naturalforests, biodiversity and native shade treesin farms can directly benefit coffeeproduction is accumulating from studiesacross the tropics from Costa Rica to Sulawesiand Mexico to India. Second, as the most-traded commodity after oil, coffee too iscoming under the increased scrutiny of theinformed buyer and sustainability-consciousconsumer. The desire to know where coffeecomes from, how it is grown, and purchaseonly sustainably-produced coffee thatenhances the lives of farming communitiesand conserves the natural environment hasspurred a burgeoning market powered byconsumer demand. Roasters, retailers,coffeechains, and consumers are increasinglylooking to source coffee from farms that arecertified as sustainable through crediblethird-party certification programmes,particularly Rainforest Alliance certification.

In this article, we highlight how thechanging scenario creates a uniqueopportunity for Indian coffee. We present anon-technical summary of some key scientific

studies that present the links between coffeeand conservation. We then provide anintroduction to the systems underlyingRainforest Alliance certification and thestandards (good practices) that farms wouldneed to adopt to become certified. We believethat the Indian coffee industry and farmers,workers and local communities, as well asforests and biodiversity stand to benefit fromthe adoption of good practices related tosocial and environmental sustainability, withconcordant market benefits throughcertification.

Agriculture and land-use conversion

Agricultural expansion has historically beenone of the greatest causes of forest loss andfragmentation worldwide.It remains one ofthe largest threats to the world’s remainingtropical forests (Achard et al. 2002).Additionally, during the next two decades,the human population is expected to grow

Ms. Joke Aerts Dr. T.R.Shankar Raman

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from 6.5 billion to nearly 8 billion. In theirstruggle to feed, clothe, and house theirfamilies, and in their consumption of materialgoods, people everywhere will continue toexert pressure on the Earth’s limited naturalresources with agriculture being animportant component (Tilman et al. 2002).This is particularly acute in and around ourplanet’s most sensitive and unique tropicalecosystems in developing countries like India.Simply designating areas as parks andpreserves is not enough. Although 10 percentof the world’s area (less than 5% in the caseof India) has already been set aside asprotected areas such as national parks and

wildlife sanctuaries, local people continue torely on the resources within protected areasto earn their livelihoods. Given the pace ofagricultural expansion and intensificationworldwide, conservation of biodiversity andremnant ecosystems requires lookingbeyond fragmented wildlife reserves intoadjoining, larger agricultural landscapessuch as coffee and tea plantations (Mudappaand Raman 2007).

The Western Ghats mountain range inIndia is a case in point. This region, fromwhich most of India’s coffee originates, isrecognized as a global biodiversity hotspot,holding about 30% of India’s plant and

Maintaining shade of diverse native tree species can helpconservation and coffee production (photo: Authors)

Certified farms protect threatened wildlife such as Asianelephants and their movement routes (Photo: Nisarg Prakash)

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vertebrate species diversity in less than 6%of the area (Kumar et al. 2004, CEPF 2007).While much of the large-scale conversion offorests and grasslands to plantations such astea, coffee and timber had already occurredin many areas prior to 1920 (Congreve 1942,Prabhakar and Gadgil 1995), forest loss,conversion, and degradation have continuedinto recent times. For instance, Jha et al.(2000) estimated that in a 40,000 km² areaof the southern Western Ghats, one-fourth(25.6%) of the forest cover had been lostbetween 1973 and 1995, giving an annualdeforestation rate of 1.16%. Another studyshowed that between 1920 and 1990, 40% ofthe original natural vegetation of the WesternGhats was lost or converted to open/cultivated lands, coffee plantations, teaplantations, and hydroelectric reservoirs(Menon and Bawa 1997). Open or cultivatedlands accounted for 76% and coffeeplantations for 16% of the conversion, whichwas also accompanied by fragmentation ofthe remaining forests into smaller remnants(Menon and Bawa 1997). The loss or gradualconversion of private forests, some indegraded stages, into plantations accountsfor some of the recent increase in coffee areaas well.

There is now considerable interest inextending conservation to landscapes outsidedesignated protected areas, especiallybiodiversity conservation in productiveagriculture, agroforestry, and plantations(Daily et al. 2001, 2003; Bhagwat et al. 2008).In the Western Ghats, while some 13,500 km²is protected as wildlife reserves fromMaharashtra to Kerala, a larger area is underplantations in the landscape adjoining orwithin many of these reserves. There is asubstantial (and increasing) area underplantations, especially of crops such as tea,coffee, cardamom, and rubber. Teaplantations, for instance, occupy a total area

of over 1,100 km² in southern India andincreased in coverage by nearly 6,200hectares (5.5%) in the period between 2000and 2006, despite a downturn in the industryfor much of that period (Tea Board statistics,http://teaboard.gov.in). Coffee plantationshave increased from around 2,700 km² in1990 – 91 to span over 3400 km² in 2007 – 08largely in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu,Kerala, and Karnataka (Coffee Boarddatabase, http://www.indiacoffee.org). Smallcardamom spans over 730 km² (2006 SpicesBoard data, http://www.indianspices.com/),while rubber plantations span some 5000km²(http://www.rubberboard.org.in/)mainly on the western slopes and plains.There are also large areas of plantations oftimber (e.g., teak, eucalyptus) and othercrops (e.g., arecanut, oil palm, coconut,vanilla). Despite the considerable extent,there has been little direct effort atincorporating these landscapes inconservation policy and management. Theimportance of these plantations and theremnant forests within them for conservationwas highlighted in a recent review (Anandet al. 2010).

How coffee can benefit conservationAmong the various plantations in theWestern Ghats, crops such as coffee andcardamom, being traditionally grown underthe shade of trees occupy a special place. Insome parts of the Western Ghats, such as theAnamalai hills, where there is no hunting ofwildlife, one can walk into coffee plantationsand see even endangered or endemic speciessuch as Great Hornbills (Buceros bicornis),lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus), andNilgiri langur (Trachypithecus johnii). A largebody of research from around the world hasestablished that shade-coffee plantations cansupport many forest species, including birds,arboreal mammals, invertebrates such as

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ants and bees, and native trees and epiphyticplants (e.g., Greenberg et al. 1997a,b;Perfectoand Vandermeer 2002; Perfecto et al. 2003,2005; Tejeda-Cruz and Sutherland 2004,Komar 2006, Jha and Vandermeer 2010).Similar results have been obtained frommany studies from the Anamalais, Palnis,Chikmagalur, and Nilgiris – Kodagu in theWestern Ghats (Shahabuddin 1997;Raman2006, Bali et al. 2007, Mudappa and Raman2007;Anand et al. 2008;Dolia et al. 2008).

Two aspects are important to rememberwhen one considers the value of shade-coffeefor biodiversity. First, although coffeeplantations can support much biodiversity(Bhagwat et al. 2008), many species arerestricted to forests and will survive only ifexisting remnant forests in the landscapesuch as Reserved Forests, rainforestfragments, and sacred groves are alsoprotected (e.g., Bhagwat et al. 2005; Sridharet al. 2008; Anand et al. 2010). Second, likethe various brews of coffee, there are variousbrews of coffee estate when it comes to shadeand farms that excessively rely on few or justsingle species of tree for shade, particularlyalien (exotic) species such as the silver oakGrevillea robusta, provide poorer habitat thanfarms that include a diversity of native speciesas shade (Komar 2006;Raman 2006; Anandet al. 2008). Both these aspects, the protectionof remnant forests and the diversification ofnative shade, are therefore emphasised byconservation-oriented certification programslike Rainforest Alliance.

Again, here Indian coffee plantationshave a window of opportunity. Unlikerecently-expanding coffee areas like Vietnamand Sumatra that are being establishedthrough deforestation, much of Indian coffeerepresents decades-old, well-establishedplantations, grown traditionally under shadeof native tree species, with Reserved Forestsand sacred groves integrated within the

landscape. There has been a worrying trendin recent times of the loss of these traditionalpractices, leading to degradation of forestcover, and over-reliance on alien (exotic) treespecies, particularly silver oak Grevillearobusta (native to Australia) and Maesopsiseminii (native to Africa). Some of thesenegative trends were partly induced bypressures on farmers in years of low prices(forcing felling of trees for timber) or a short-term view of cultivation (rapidly establishshade using convenient alien species). Thejudicious revival of traditional practicesrelated to native shade trees, sacred groves,and forest protection, along with adoptionof a no-hunting policy can convincinglyproject the conservation significance ofIndian coffee to the world.

How conservation can benefit coffeeThere is also increasing interest and evidenceglobally on the economic value of biodiversityand forests to plantations.These values mayaccrue directly through ecosystem servicessuch as pollination, carbon sequestration,and watershed benefits for farms. Apioneering study in Costa Rica demonstratedthat coffee estates that were near forestsbenefited from better pollination (Ricketts2004). In the same 1065 ha farm, experimentsshowed that pollination by bees from nearbyforests increased yield of Arabica coffee by20% and improved coffee quality (Rickettset al. 2004). The study estimated that the twopatches of forest (46 ha and 111 ha) near theCosta Rican farm directly contributed to aneconomic benefit of USD 60,000 per year (orroughly USD 60 / ha per year) throughpollination services, bringing to light anaspect that had remained invisible andunmeasured.

Similarly, a study on pollination inRobusta coffee in Sulawesi, Indonesia,concluded that retaining forest patches near

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coffee estates and adoption of other goodpractices related to diversifying shade andreducing herbicide use, could support better beepopulations (Klein et al. 2003). In this study, abee community of 20 species or more led to ahigher fruit set (95%) than a species-poor beecommunity of six species (70% fruit set).

Likewise, other benefits of biodiversityfor coffee are being described. Studies haveshown that while better and more diverseshade can support greater diversity of birds,the birds in turn may play a significant rolein reducing insect pest attack on coffee(Greenberg et al. 2000, Johnson et al. 2010).Shade management, is often considered onlyin relation to yield of coffee; however, manyother benefits may accrue from shade includinghigher coffee quality, lower berry fall andtranspiration stress (Vaast et al. 2006), betterorganic matter accumulation and reduction innematode and berry disease (Beer et al. 1998;Bedimo et al. 2008). Shade can also help reducecoffee berry borer infestation, especially giventhe prospect of climate change (Jaramillo et al.2009), while sustaining or enhancing qualityand profitability (Muschler 2001; Gordon et al.2007).

Besides such direct benefits, manyschemes are being implemented asincentives for conservation in productionlandscapes, including conservationeasements, direct payments or credits forbiodiversity or ecosystem services, carbonsequestration and trading, purchase of lands,conservation certification of produce,corporate social responsibility initiatives, andvoluntary efforts. The Rainforest Alliancecertification for sustainable agriculture incoffee plantations is on these lines.

Rainforest Alliance and the Growing Market forSustainable ProduceThe Rainforest Alliance is helping people tochange their land-use practices, settingstandards for the long-term sustainable use

of resources so that we can conserve theplanet’s great wealth of biodiversity and helppeople use the resources they need withoutcompromising them for future generations.Once used only among conservation groupsand development agencies, the term“sustainable” has entered the publicconsciousness as shorthand for wide-rangingefforts to fight poverty and pollution andprotect the Earth’s resources. As this “people,planet, and profits” message spreadsthroughout the marketplace, demand forgoods from sustainable farms continues togrow. There is also a growing consensus thatcertification is the most effective way topromote sustainability, by ensuring theestablishment and enforcement ofmanagement practices, that protect theenvironment, the rights of workers, and theinterests of local communities.In tropicalregions rich in biodiversity, ensuring thatfarms are properly protecting forests, soil,waterways, and people’s health is critical.

The Rainforest Alliance and the othermembers of the Sustainable AgricultureNetwork (SAN)—an international coalitionof independent, non-profit conservationgroups—have created a comprehensive farmcertification program. The NatureConservation Foundation, Mysore, as theSAN’s newest member and the first in SouthAsia, is assisting farms in the region withcertification and in developing localinterpretation guidelines and resources. Tobecome certified, farms must meet strictstandards developed by the SAN throughconsultations with social and environmentalgroups, farmers, industry, government andother stakeholders.

Coffee, cocoa, tea, tropical fruit (banana,orange, pineapple, passion fruit, mango,guava), flower and fern farms are certifiedaccording to the environmental and socialstandards of the SAN. Farms producing a

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number of smaller crops—including açai,avocado, chestnuts, macadamia nuts,plantains,vanilla, cardamom and pepper—often grown in association with thesecommodities, may also be certified. As of thelast quarter of 2010, more than 90,000 farmson nearly 1.7 million acres (690,000 hectares)in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, CostaRica, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic,Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala,Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya,Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, thePhilippines and Tanzania were RainforestAlliance Certified. In India, a number of teaand coffee plantations, including largecompanies as well as groups that includesmallholders, have been certified byRainforest Alliance.

From Farm to Supermarket: Linking the SupplyChainThe Rainforest Alliance is involved at everystage of the supply chain, working withproducers, importers, wholesalers andvendors to promote responsibly producedagricultural goods. The online Marketplace(www.rainforest-alliance.org/farmproducts)helps companies selling Rainforest AllianceCertified products promote their brands andlink farmers and buyers. Rainforest Allianceworks with an increasing number ofbusinesses,from small local stores to largeinternational corporations, that understandthat sustainability is good for the bottomline—and that certification is the best wayto guarantee that their products aresustainably sourced.

Farms that meet the SAN standards areawarded the Rainforest Alliance Certified™seal of approval, which can be used to marketfarm products. The Rainforest AllianceCertified seal,carrying a green frog, standsfor sustainability. The green frog is now seenin thousands of markets, cafés, restaurants

and offices around the world. Eco-consciousshoppers everywhere know that productscarrying the seal come from responsibly-managed farms. Trendsetting foodcompanies and supermarkets interested inknowing more about how, where and bywhom their products are grown—and aboutthe social and environmental benefits of thesustainable farming process—have come totrust and respect the integrity of theRainforest Alliance Certified seal.Bydisplaying the seal on their goods, farmerscan tap into the growing market ofenlightened consumers who are choosing tosupport sustainable agricultural practicesthrough their purchases.

The Process—and Benefits—of Certification

The certification journey begins with avoluntary application to the RainforestAlliance Certified program from a farmer orgroup of farmers, followed by a farm visitby specialists to determine the changesnecessary to achieve certification. Oncefarmers are satisfied that their farms meetthe certification standards, they can requesta full audit (inspection). An experienced andindependent auditor or team of auditorsvisits the farm to review every aspect of itscompliance with the standards. Based on theauditors’ report, an independent certificationbody, Sustainable Farm Certification Intl.,determines whether or not the farm meritscertification. All farms or groups are inspectedevery year and must demonstrate continualprogress. Farmers pay for the initialcertification of their farms and the annualfollow-up inspections. In many cases,certification services are underwritten byfoundations, brokers, and buyers. Bymeeting the SAN standards and earningcertification, farms make a positive impactin three key areas:

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Environmental ConservationThe standards provide guidelines for theconservation of wildlife, forests and othervaluable habitats in and aroundfarms.Certified farms often serve as bufferzones around parks and as “wildlifecorridors” between protected areas. Naturalecosystems on the farm should be identifiedand protected and areas not suitable foragriculture must be replanted with a varietyof native tree and plant species. Waterwaysand soil on the farms must be protected.Waste is reduced as farm by-products arecomposted and used as natural fertilizer,while other wastes, such as plastics, glass andmetals are collected, and recycled wherepossible. Farm managers must use biologicalor mechanical alternatives to pesticideswhenever possible—and if they determinethat agrochemicals are necessary to protectthe crop, they have to choose the least toxicalternatives at hand (avoid chemicals on anannually-updated banned chemicals list) anduse every available safeguard to protecthuman health and the environment.Agroforestry crops, including coffee, need touse a diversity of native shade tree species.Opportunities for conservation in crops suchas tea can come from setting aside a portionof the land as natural ecosystems such asforests and grasslands or ensuring that apercentage (say 10%) of the shade andavenue trees are native species.

Social ConditionsBy focusing on how farms are managed, thestandards cover the full range of workerprotection issues including: the rights toorganize, to a safe, clean workingenvironment, to be paid at least the nationalminimum wage or the regional averagewage, whichever is higher, to dignifiedhousing (including access to potable water),to medical care for workers and their

families, and to education for children. TheRainforest Alliance and the SAN engage withall types of farms—from small cooperativesand family farms to large plantations ownedby multinational corporations—to promotechange and ensure that all agriculturalworkers are well-treated. Workers also benefitfrom better safety norms, including in theuse of protective equipment duringagrochemical handling and application, andno-discrimination policies.

Economic BenefitsThe certification process often increasesefficiency on farms. Workers are healthierand more satisfied, and trained seasonalworkers are more likely to return each year—which helps improve productivity andreduce costs. Through better managementand more consistent techniques and training,the quality of a farm’s products also generallyimproves. Certified farm owners have betteraccess to specialty buyers, contract stability,favourable credit options, publicity, technicalassistance, and premium markets. Althoughthe Rainforest Alliance and other SANmembers are not directly involved innegotiations between farmers and theirproduct buyers, most farmers are able toleverage their certification to receive a pricepremium.

The SAN Sustainable Agriculture StandardThe Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN)standards that apply for farms are the SANSustainable Agriculture Standard(July 2010)and the SAN List of Prohibited Pesticides(September 2009).The full version of thestandards are available at:

http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture/standards (and)http://www.sanstandards.orgThe SAN Standards are organised into

10 Principles (analogous to Chapters) with

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multiple criteria within each Principle. Thereare a total of 99 criteria, of which 15 areCritical Criteria. While farms are required tomandatorily comply with all 15 CriticalCriteria, there is scope for continuousimprovement overall, as it is not required thatall other criteria must be met at the veryinitiation of certification. However, to becomecertified, farms need to meet a minimum of80% of the criteria, with the added stipulationthat at least 50% score is attained within eachof the 10 Principles. This ensures that farmspay adequate attention to all aspects ofsustainable agriculture and provides abenchmark for continuous improvement thatcan be assessed in annual audits. Althoughorganic cultivation is encouraged it is notmandatory for Rainforest Alliancecertification; however, strictures are includedregarding the use of agrochemicals as this isa global concern (PAN UK 2008). Hence,farms must abide by the List of ProhibitedPesticides and regulations on application andsafety. A brief introduction to the 10 Principlesis provided below.

1. Social & Environmental ManagementSystem: The adoption of sustainableagriculture requires a social andenvironmental management system(SEMS) that allows farmers and auditorsalike to confirm that farms are being runin compliance with the SAN standardand the laws of their country (e.g.,Plantation Labour Act, Pollution ControlBoard norms, Wildlife Protection Act,land tenure regulations). The SEMSimplements procedures for managementand programmes for training andcontinuous improvement. Most farmersfind that implementing such amanagement system not only improvesconditions for workers and theenvironment, it also results in a betterorganized and more efficient farm. This

system also needs to ensure that certifiedproducts are completely traceable andkept separate from any non-certifiedproduce (chain-of-custody requirement).

2. Ecosystem Conservation: The standardrequires farmers to identify and conserveexisting ecosystems (such as deciduousand evergreen forests, grasslands,wetlands, and water bodies in and aroundthe farm) and facilitate ecologicalrestoration of critical areas, often throughreforestation with native species. Thisincludes protecting waterways andwetlands from erosion andcontamination, prohibiting illegallogging and other deforestation, as wellas measures to prevent negative impactson natural areas outside the farm.Maintaining vegetation barriers, such ashedges around housing and public roads,as well as native vegetation along streamsand rivers is required to reduceagrochemical drift, prevent soil erosion,and provide habitat for wildlife. For coffeegrowers, a shade cover of 40% is required,with two strata of shade, and a diversityof on average 12 native species perhectare. For tea growers, opportunities fornative tree planting should be found inbuffer zones along streams and roads.

3. Wildlife Protection: Certified farmsserve as refuges for wildlife, so farmersneed to make an inventory of wildlifespecies and habitats that exist on theirland and take specific steps to protectthem, especially endangered species. Thisincludes educating workers, prohibitinghunting and the removal of plants andanimals from the land, protecting nestsand critical habitats, and avoiding thekeeping of wildlife species in captivity.Farms are also required to take a largerlandscape view and protect themovement routes (corridors) of animals,

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such as Asian elephants Elephas maximusand gaur Bos gaurus. In Indian coffeefarms, while protecting property andnewly planted fields with fencing andbarriers, care could be taken to leave openaccess to water bodies, forest patches, androutes for animal movement.

4. Water Conservation: The standardrequires that farmers take measures toconserve water, which begin withmonitoring water sources andconsumption. The installation, ormodification of technology may benecessary to reduce water consumptionon the farm, reduce any wastage, andavoid contamination of springs and riverson and near their property. Farmersshould have the proper permits for wateruse, treat wastewater and monitor waterquality. It is critical that coffee waste istreated properly and wastewater andsolids are not directly emptied into anywaterbodies.

5. Working Conditions: Farmers mustensure fair treatment and good workingconditions for all employees, asestablished by such international bodiesas the United Nations and InternationalLabour Organization. The standardsprohibit forced and child labor and allforms of discrimination and abuse.Workers, including temporary andcontracted workers, should be aware oftheir rights and farm policies and enjoylegally established salaries, workschedules and any benefits required bythe national government. If housing isprovided, it must be in good condition,with potable water, sanitary facilities andwaste collection. Workers and theirfamilies should have access to healthcareand education.

6. Occupational Health and Safety:Certified farms should take steps toprovide a safe working environment in

field, factory, storage, and pulping areas.Detailed prescriptions are provided forsafe storage of hazardous materials suchas agrochemicals including fertilizers andcompost, fuel and flammable substances.Workers should use proper personalprotective equipments—such asappropriate masks, gloves, andhelmets—in all activities that pose riskincluding agrochemical mixing andapplication, shade lopping, and coffeepulping. Safeguards for sprayers andregular medical tests for workers areother aspects in the Standard.

7. Community Relations: The standardrequires farmers to be good neighborsand inform surrounding communitiesand local interest groups about theiractivities and plans. They should consultwith interested parties about the potentialimpacts of their farm and contribute tolocal development through employment,training and public works. Farms areencouraged to work with local NGOs inaspects such as environmental education,wildlife conservation, and wastemanagement.

8. Integrated Crop Management: TheSustainable Agriculture Networkencourages the elimination of chemicalproducts that pose dangers to people andthe environment. Certified farmseliminate such products by usingintegrated crop management to reducepests. They must record all agrochemicaluse and work to reduce or eliminatedangerous products.Theyshould not usetransgenic organisms, products that arebanned in their country, or productsprohibited by national and internationalagreements and those listed in SAN Listof Prohibited Pesticides.

9. Soil Conservation: One goal ofsustainable agriculture is the long-term

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improvement of soils, which is whycertified farms take steps to preventerosion, base fertilization on croprequirements and soil characteristics, anduse organic matter and mulching toenrich soils. Vegetative ground cover andmechanical weeding are preferred inorder to reduce agrochemical usewhenever possible. The cutting orburning of forest cover, including second-growth forest, is not permitted to preparenew land for cultivation.

10. Integrated Waste Management:Certified farms are clean and orderlywith programs for managing wastethrough recycling, reduction and reuse.Waste—office, domestic, medical, factory,and farm waste—is treated and disposedof in ways that minimize environmentaland health impacts. The use of open wastedumps and open burning of waste arediscouraged as they have negative effectson human health and the environment.Workers are educated about managingwaste properly on the farm and in theircommunities.

ConclusionCoffee plantations and the conservationmovement in India clearly have much tocontribute to each other. Indian coffee estatescan build on traditional practices such asgrowing coffee under native shade trees andintegrated with natural forests by adoptingadditional sustainable agricultural practicesto enhance their value locally and ininternational markets. As Rainforest Alliancecertification and the market for producecertified following the underlying SANStandard grows rapidly, Indian coffee canutilise the opportunities on offer to contributeto greater social and environmental well-being, while also growing good, profitable,and sustainable coffee.

AcknowledgementsWe are grateful to the Critical EcosystemsPartnership Fund (CEPF) for supporting ourwork in the Western Ghats. We thank M. O.Anand for help with references. We thankthe Karnataka Planters’ Association (KPA)and the United Planters’ Association of SouthIndia (UPASI) for the opportunity to speakat the joint UPASI-KPA conference atBangalore in November 2010.

ReferencesAchard, F., Eva, H. D., Stibig, H. et al.

2002.Determination of deforestation rates of theworld’s humid tropical forests.Science 297: 999–1002.

Anand, M. O., Krishnaswamy, J. & Das, A. 2008.Proximity to forests drives bird conservationvalue of shade-coffee plantations: Implicationsfor certification. Ecological Applications 18: 1754–1763.

Anand, M. O., Krishnaswamy, J., Kumar, A., & Bali,A. 2010. Sustaining biodiversity conservationin human-modified landscapes in the WesternGhats: remnant forests matter. BiologicalConservation 143:2363-2374.

Bali, A., Kumar, A. & Krishnaswamy, J. 2007.Themammalian communities in coffee plantationsaround a protected area in the Western Ghats,India.Biological Conservation 139: 93–102.

Bedimo, J. A. M., Njiayouom, I., Bieysse, D., NdoumbéNkeng M., Cilas C. &Nottéghem J. L. 2008. Effect ofshade on Arabica coffee berry diseasedevelopment: Toward an agroforestry system toreduce disease impact. Phytopathology 98(12): 1320.

Beer, J., Muschler, R., Kass, D. &Somarriba., E. 1998.Shade management in coffee and cacaoplantations. Agroforestry Systems 38: 139-164.

Bhagwat, S., Kushalappa, C., Williams, P., & Brown,N. 2005. The role of informal protected areas inmaintaining biodiversity in the Western Ghats ofIndia. Ecology and Society 10(1): 8. [online] URL: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol10/iss1/art8/

Bhagwat, S. A., Willis, K. J., Birks, H. J. B. &Whittaker, R. J. 2008. Agroforestry: a refuge fortropical biodiversity? Trends in Ecology andEvolution 23: 261-267.

CEPF 2007. Ecosystem Profile Western Ghats & SriLanka biodiversity hotspot: Western Ghatsregion. Conservation International, Arlington,USA.

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