ABSTRACT
Humanity's survival depends on the long-term availability of natural resources— clean water and air, fertile soil, plants, minerals, and other natural materials integral to human life. Coffee is not critical for human life, but its production consumes many natural resources. Soil erosion and deforestation are occurring in many coffee-producing regions, and coffee plantations contribute to these problems. Even though sun-grown coffee has become the standard, many smallholders and poorer coffee farmers have retained traditional coffee plantations or combined traditional approaches with modern hybrid varieties and varying degrees of chemical inputs. Organic coffee production proves to be more sustainable than sun-grown coffee, even though farmers obtain lower yields. Lower annual productivity is compensated by the extended life of the coffee bushes, reduced soil erosion, and maintenance of soil fertility, all of which contribute to long-term productivity and sustainability.
