introduction objectives main results · 2018-01-11 · family coffee farmers improve mountain...

Family coffee farmers improve mountain soils

Alberto Pascual Q. Fundación CoMunidad

The production of shade-growncoffee is key to the conservation ofmountain ecosystems. InPanama’s Santa Fe National Park,coffee is a traditional crop andone of the main income sourcesfor many family farmers who livein the protected park area and itssurroundings. The cultivation ofshade-grown coffee ensuresenvironmental, polyculture andagroforest biodiversity,contributes to soil conservationand plays a crucial role inmitigating and adapting to climatechange. Located in the highlandsof the Panamanian CentralCordillera in the Santa Fe districtof Veraguas province, the 72 636ha Santa Fe National Park hasproven critical for conveying theneed for investment in theconservation and sustainablemanagement of natural resources.It belongs to the MesoamericanBiological Corridor, a highlybiodiverse region thatencompasses seven CentralAmerican countries and Mexico.In addition, it contains a strategicwater reservoir for the majorhuman settlements of the country,and the water streaming from itswatershed and the related rivershas great potential to generatehydropower. Thanks to theelevation and steepness thatcharacterize the geomorphologyof the park, all the springs of themajor rivers originating withinthe protected area may potentiallygenerate renewable energyTheselands are suitable for theproduction of coffee, and theirhumid tropical climate also allowsfor the production ofcomplementary crops such ascitrus, beans and vegetables. Withconstant rain throughout the yearand favourable soil features, thearea also has good agriculturalpotential for various forest andfruit plantations

The park has mountain rangeswith narrow valleys andelevations ranging from 600 to 1400 masl. Mountain slopes aresteep, especially in the southernsection of the Santa Fe NationalPark and its buffer zone, and soilsare thin with good internaldrainage. The predominant soilsof this mountain region have a pHthat tends to range from acidic (<6.5) to very acidic (4.5). This isbecause the rainfall hashistorically induced a strongphenomenon of nutrient leachingand soils are exposed to winderosion and other atmosphericagents The work of family farmersengaged in shade-grown coffeegenerates multiple benefits due tothe use of native species, soilconservation and improvementpractices, reduced dependence onpetrol and derivatives throughagro-ecology, practice ofpolyculture and silvopastoralism,terraced coffee plantations andcrop rotation. One of the salientfeatures of the traditional farmingsystems is their high degree ofbiodiversity thanks to polycultureand agroforestry. Diversifiedsystems support severalecosystem services such as soilcarbon sequestration, regulationof the hydrological cycle,provision of habitat for naturalpollinators and control of pestsand diseases through naturalenemies. All this, in turn,promotes dietary diversity andimproves the long-termproductivity of soils, even withlow levels of technology andlimited resources.

The techniques the family farmershave implemented for shade-grown coffee have reduced soilerosion and nutrient loss, whilealso respecting the ground cover,the trees and their extensive rootsystems which are key elementsfor agriculture to conserve andimprove soils in mountains. Allcomponents and joint actions ofthis project are framed andlegitimized within theManagement Plan of the Santa FeNational Park published inSeptember 2014 by thePanamanian Ministry of theEnvironment.

In this framework, FundaciónCoMunidad works with localproducers to establish shade-grown coffee as a finished brandproduct. This has potential toopen new markets, build publicand private partnerships, andidentify new strategic partners,always ensuring sustainable useof natural resources and soilconservation and improvementwithin the Santa Fe National Parkand its buffer zone.

Fig. 3: Coffee is one of the main source of income for peoples living in the central mountains of Panama ©Alberto Pascual Q

Fig. 1: Rubén Urriola, one of the thirty members of the association of coffee producers, working in his farm ©Alberto Pascual Q

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES MAIN RESULTS

CONCLUSION

Fig. 2: Planting coffee beans in the mountainous State of Oxaca in the south-centre of Mexico ©FAO/Franco Mattioli

Fig. 4: The landscape on one of the farms of small coffee producers shaded located in the buffer zone of the protected area © Alberto Pascual Q