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Coffee, Climate and Biodiversity: Understanding the Carbon Stocks of the Shade Coffee Production System of India

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Handbook of Climate Change and Biodiversity

Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

Abstract

In the light of climate change, the ecosystem services of traditionally maintained shaded Arabica coffee farms become prominent largely for increasing carbon removal. The most important function of the shade-grown coffee agroforestry system is the reduction of the concentration of Carbon in the atmosphere. It is estimated that one-hectare shade-grown coffee farm with large forest trees can sequester 70–80 tonnes of carbon per hectare, which is more or less equivalent to the carbon stored in an equal area of forest. A full sun–grown or open coffee in one hectare can only store less than 10 tonnes of carbon. “Monsooned Malabar Arabica Coffee is a specialty coffee of India, sourced from shade coffee plantation and has geographical indication (GI) protection. Shade grown coffee also serves as a refuge for biodiversity and its diverse and complex structure has a high potential to retain biodiversity in the changing climate scenarios. In this context, this paper discusses the nexus of coffee, climate and biodiversity and its implications with Wayanad, Kerala, India as a case study. This paper emphasizes the need for promoting sustainable production and consumption of coffee as a carbon neutral brand and promotion of shade grown, biodiversity rich and climate resilient coffee can emerge as a highly valued commodity in the world coffee market. Attempts at revival of the shade grown coffee system amongst the small growers with appropriate steps in marketing the coffee as a specialty product (carbon neutral and grown in bio-diverse environment) are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Dr. V. Selavam, Executive Director, MSSRF for his enduring support. We are indeed thankful to all the staffs and management of MSSRF Chennai, Tamil Nadu and MSSRF CABC, Wayanad, Kerala for their encouragement and support. We place the record of appreciations to Ms. Punitha and Mr. Nagraj of GIS Unit, MSSRF for their GIS support. We thank Dr. Anil Sachariya for sharing with us those lively pictures of frog diversity that he photographed from the coffee plantations. Thanks are due to our colleagues Mr. Salim Pichan, Mr. Joseph John, Mr. M. K. Nanda Kumar, Ms. C. S. Dhanya and Mr. T. A. Raveendran for their brilliant assistance to us in collecting necessary field data. We thank the Minister and Department of Finance, Minister and Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Kerala who mooted and supported the idea of realizing “Carbon Neutral Wayanad” in persuading us to investigate the importance of shade coffee farms in carbon removal of Wayanad district, Kerala, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, 3rd Cross Street, Taramani Institutional Area, Chennai, 600 113, India

    Nadesa Panicker Anil Kumar & Amsad Ibrahim Khan Saleem Khan

  2. M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Puthurvayal P.O, Wayanad, Kalpetta, Kerala, 673577, India

    Vaniyan Balakrishnan

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  1. Nadesa Panicker Anil Kumar
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  2. Amsad Ibrahim Khan Saleem Khan
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  3. Vaniyan Balakrishnan
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Correspondence to Nadesa Panicker Anil Kumar .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management”, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. International Climate Change Information and Research Programme, Hamburg, Germany

    Jelena Barbir

  3. School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK

    Richard Preziosi

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Anil Kumar, N.P., Saleem Khan, A.I.K., Balakrishnan, V. (2019). Coffee, Climate and Biodiversity: Understanding the Carbon Stocks of the Shade Coffee Production System of India. In: Leal Filho, W., Barbir, J., Preziosi, R. (eds) Handbook of Climate Change and Biodiversity. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98681-4_7

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