Bird friendly habitat

Highly Meaningful 

The label means that the farm where the coffee was grown qualifies as “bird friendly habitat” as defined by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. The standards promote environmental sustainability of coffee farms and protect biodiversity, with a special focus on providing shelter and food for migratory birds. Coffee farms are also required to be certified organic. The label is verified and highly meaningful.

Is the label verified?

Yes

Is the meaning of the label consistent?

Yes

Are the label standards publicly available?

Yes

Is information about the organization publicly available?

Yes

Is the organization free from conflict of interest?

Yes

Was the label developed with broad public and industry input?

Yes

This label can be found on: coffee

ORGANIZATION: Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

url: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migratorybirds/coffee/

LABEL STANDARDS: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migratorybirds/coffee/Norms-English_1.pdf

Note: Bird Friendly has a new seal (see above) but you may still see the old seal (right). 

What this label means 

The Bird Friendly label can be found on coffee, and means that the farm where the coffee is grown meets the standards developed by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. The standards aim to promote environmental sustainability of coffee farms and protect biodiversity, with a special focus on providing shelter and food for migratory birds. The Bird Friendly label means that the coffee is “shade-grown,” and verifies that the farm qualifies as “bird friendly habitat.” The label’s standards require a variety of native shade trees be grown throughout the coffee plantation. These shade trees create a forest-like environment with many ecological benefits.

Organic certification is a baseline criteria for Bird Friendly certification. The Smithsonian Bird Friendly standards require at least 40% canopy cover over the farm, a minimum number of different tree species including native species in the upper layers of the canopy, a minimum height of the canopy, vegetative buffer zones next to rivers and lakes, and soil management practices.

Because the Bird Friendly standards require organic certification, it also means that synthetic fertilizers and nearly all synthetic pesticides are prohibited.

Why it matters 

Coffee farms typically can cut many trees in order to increase yields from coffee crops. The loss of trees and native vegetation to make room for coffee plantations means a loss of habitat for animals, including migratory birds. For many migratory songbirds and other tropical animals whose populations are declining, coffee farms with diverse tree canopies offer important habitat. Although not a replacement for native forest, shade coffee can provide the last refuge for species threatened by the removal of original forest cover.

Studies have shown many ecological benefits of shade-grown coffee farms, including improved bird habitat, soil erosion control, carbon sequestration, natural pest control and improved pollination.

CONSUMER REPORTS EVALUATION

How meaningful is this label? 

Highly Meaningful.

The rigorous standards behind the Bird Friendly label ensure that certified coffee farms integrate coffee cultivation into agroforestry systems and protect biodiversity. The requirement for organic certification means that coffee farms already meet a comprehensive set of sustainability standards, which include a prohibition on the use of synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and a requirement for soil management. The Smithsonian’s Bird Friendly label requires not only shade trees and canopy cover amidst the coffee plants, but requires vegetative and structural diversity (for example, trees of different heights and different species).

Is the label verified?

Yes.

A certification agency certifies to the USDA organic standards (since organic certification is a requirement for Bird Friendly certification), as well as to the Bird Friendly standards. Since shade does not change from year to year, a yearly inspection of the farm to the shade grown standards is not required; rather, inspections occur every three years

Is the meaning of the label consistent?

Yes. 

Are the label standards publicly available?

Yes.

Standards are available at: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migratorybirds/coffee/Norms-English_1.pdf

Is information about the organization publicly available?

Yes.

The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC), located at the National Zoo, is a research unit within the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian Institution is categorized as both a government organization and a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

Board of Directors: Yes. The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center does not have its own Board of Directors, but members of the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Directors are posted online. The standards, which are posted online, have been developed by the members of scientific staff of the SMBC, as well as opened to public comment prior to their posting.

Financial information: Yes. As both a government institution and a 501(c)(3), financial information is available publicly.

Is the organization free from conflict of interest?

Standards development: Yes. The scientific staff of the SMBC has final decision authority over the standards, and none own or have a financial interest in certified coffee farms.

Verification:  Yes. Third-party USDA-accredited organic certification agencies, which must be free from conflict of interest, use the standards to inspect and certify farms as Bird Friendly.

Was the label developed with broad public and industry input?

Yes. The standards were developed by the scientific staff of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, based on their ornithological field research findings, with input from external scientists, producers and retailers.