I found this article to be very informative about the connection between birds and coffee grown in a sustainable way. There are birds that are endemic to the Dominican Republic and some are on the endangered list, but through the growth of sustainable coffee the environment can become a positive haven for their survival. Also migrating birds thrive in these types of surroundings. Food for thought when you drink your next cup of coffee.
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Sustainable coffee is produced on a farm with high biological diversity and low chemical inputs. It conserves resources, protects the environment, produces efficiently, competes commercially and enhances the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole."
-- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, First Sustainable Coffee Congress overview paper
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The two nations of the island of Hispaniola -- the Dominican Republic (DR) and Haiti -- tend to be forgotten lands in the minds of U.S. coffee drinkers. Each country has a long history of coffee growing, as well as periods of political and social turmoil. Both are working on improving their coffee quality and thus their market share of specialty coffee. And this is a land of full of unique biodiversity, where sustainable agriculture is critically important to the environment and the people. Let's take a look at our Caribbean neighbors.
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Coffee and Conservation: Coffee growing on Hispaniola
Birds and coffee plantations
