SHADE GROWN

An ambiguous term used to describe coffee grown under shade. Shade grown coffee is said to better preserve animal habitats and avoid mono-culture on farms, but the truth of this may depend on the growing region. If a farm exists on the top of an arid plateau, for instance, it might be above the tree-line and, hence, naturally exposed to the sun. “Shade Grown” is also not an official certification (e.g. “Organic,” “Fair Trade”), so no official standards for determining “shade grown” status exist.