For many years, coffee farmers in Colombia were encouraged by the Colombian coffee federation to move toward a more technical, non diversified, full-sun coffee production model. The idea behind this new model was simple: fewer trees, more sunlight, more coffee.
At the time, many farmers didn’t have easy access to the internet, technical research, or alternative farming education. So when this governmental institution recommended a production method, farmers followed. They cut down trees that had been part of their farms for generations.
Those trees were not just “shade.” They were food. They were habitat. They were protection. They were part of the microclimate, part of the soil, and part of the balance between coffee, insects, birds, fungi, microorganisms, and people. An ecosystem.
Fig. 1: Conceptual representation of carbon stock and biodiversity value across a gradient of coffee agroforestry complexity.
This chart shows the different ecosystems where coffee can grow: from full-sun monoculture to more complex agroforestry systems. Coffee yields can vary depending on variety, tree age, pruning, nutrition, elevation, rainfall, shade percentage, soil health, and pest pressure. In other words, coffee farming is never just one variable.
Why Monoculture Looked Like the Answer
At the beginning, the results were amazing. Farmers saw coffee plants producing more. For some varieties, more hours of sunlight can increase stress on the tree, and that stress can increase production in the short term.
So farmers doubled down!
Some farms became almost entirely coffee. The system became simpler: fewer shade trees, fewer fruit trees, fewer native trees, and more coffee planted in straight lines under direct sun. It seemed more efficient. There were fewer non-coffee trees to prune, less shade to manage, and varieties that responded well to more light could produce higher yields.
For a while, it worked…
But then the farm started asking for more.
The Hidden Cost
After years of following this model, many farmers noticed that the coffee plants needed more fertilizer. In some areas, they needed more water. Pests spread faster. Weeds grew more aggressively. So farmers responded the way the system taught them to respond: more fertilizer, more pesticides, more herbicides.
And yes, those products work. Chemical fertilizers can increase or maintain production. Herbicides control weeds. Pesticides reduce pest pressure.
But the question is: at what cost?
When a farm becomes too technified, it loses natural balance. Without trees, the soil is more exposed. Temperatures increase. Erosion becomes more common. The soil dries faster. Insects can move more easily from one coffee tree to another because there are fewer barriers and less biodiversity interrupting the system.
Little by little, the farm becomes more dependent on external inputs. Every year, the farmer may need more chemicals just to maintain the same production. And the soil food web (the relationship between soil, microorganisms, fungi, organic matter, roots, insects, and plants) starts to weaken.
That soil food web is what helps transform organic matter into available food for the coffee plant. When that system breaks down, the soil becomes less alive, and coffee production becomes harder and more expensive to maintain.
What We Started to Understand
When we started Desnudo Coffee, Juan and Manolo understood how important soil was. Not because “regenerative agriculture” was a trendy word, but because we could see the problem happening in real time.
If we wanted to build long-term relationships with farmers, we couldn’t only talk about cup scores and prices. We also had to talk about soil, biodiversity, and the future of their farm.
We wanted to understand the soil more deeply, so when the Soil Food Web program offered us a scholarship, we took it seriously. We learned as much as we could and started sharing that knowledge with farmers who were willing to listen.
But at the farm level, knowing you need to change and actually changing are two very different things.
After years of chemical fertilizers, the soil gets used to that system. Organic fertilizers may not show the same immediate response. Biological controls, like fungi used to manage pests, may not feel as powerful or fast as synthetic pesticides. Planting trees is also logistically difficult. It requires planning, labor, money, patience, and maintenance.
This transition is not easy.
But we want to show you that it is possible.
A Real Observation at La Pradera
One farmer we work very closely with is Diego. At Diego’s farm, La Pradera, in Santa María, Huila, there is a new lot where coffee had not been planted three years ago. Diego and his family decided to try a different way of farming.
Not a perfect forest. Not a super complex agroforestry system. Something practical and possible.
A simple coffee agroforestry system.
Fig. 1: Conceptual representation of carbon stock and biodiversity value across a gradient of coffee agroforestry complexity.
Instead of planting only coffee, they added avocado trees, guava, plantain, banana, and cedar. The result is already incredible to observe. The plantation feels different. The temperature is lower compared to the neighboring full-sun plantation. The soil looks richer. There is more organic matter, more shade, more life, and more complexity.
From a scientific point of view, this matters. More tree diversity can help with carbon sequestration, temperature regulation, water retention, soil protection, and pest control. A pest can no longer jump as easily from one coffee tree to the next when the system is interrupted by other plants and trees.
From a human point of view, it matters even more.
The farm starts to feel alive again.
Gifts That Grow
Through the help of our community and the Gifts That Grow project in 2025–2026, Desnudo Coffee was part of planting 1,100 trees in this lot.
Desnudo donated around 300 avocado trees and 300 plantain and banana trees.
This was possible because of you! and the long-term relationship we have with Diego and Martín Horta (we have been working with them for more than four years!). Change is easier when farmers know they are not alone and we are looking toward the same future.
For Diego and Martín, these trees are not only ecological. They are a source of income and protection. They can help reduce dependence on chemicals, protect the soil, maintain or improve coffee production, and create new sources of income through fruits and food crops that can be sold or consumed by the family.
The part we sometime miss is that biodiversity is not only beautiful. It can also be practical and this is where we need help. We need to value biodiversity. We need to value better farming practices. We need to value less dependence on chemicals and more investment in organic matter, soil life, shade, and long-term resilience.
Because the future of coffee is not only about better processing, better roasting, or better brewing.
This year, Desnudo Coffee will continue working on multiple projects to add shade trees to new and existing coffee plantations. Some farms may take small steps. Others may be ready for bigger changes. But every tree planted is a step toward a more balanced farm.
It starts with the soil, One farm at a time. 🌱☕️
References:
Figure 1: “Carbon payment strategies in coffee agroforests shape climate and biodiversity outcomes”
Emily Pappo, Susan Cook-Patton, Damien Beillouin, Rémi Cardinael, Fernando Cesario, Katherine Culbertson, Vivian Griffey, Jeff Hall, Starry Sprenkle Hyppolite, Alison Lovdal, Cyril Melikov, Todd Rosenstock, Peter Steward, Drew Terasaki Hart & Ruth Bennett