Integrity from the farm to the cup. At Kalani , we hand roast, import and distribute only organically certified coffees and teas. Organic growers have made a commitment not to use synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. In addition, they practice sustainable agriculture and natural soil-building. The impact of this is far-reaching. It means cleaner watersheds, the creation of habitat for birds and animals, safer conditions for field workers, equitable pay for their labor and a chemical-free product for your enjoyment.
All of Kalani's coffee beans are Coffea arabica, the premier species of the coffee plant, thriving in the mist and cooler temperatures found in the tropics at altitudes above 1000 meters. Coffee has been traditionally grown as a shade crop, and it is in the shade the plant grows best. Organic coffees are typically shade grown, providing a more complete ecosystem which encourages natural cycles of predation and fertilization.
Shade Grown Coffee is coffee planted under a canopy of sun filtering shade trees, which usually is a multi-storied mix of native hardwoods, fruit trees, and leguminous trees. This complex ecosysten provides an economic buffer to the farmer and a boost to the environment by the addition of a natural soil amendment, conserving water and top soil with a mulch cover. This ecosystem is home to half the plant and animal species on the planet.
Hummingbirds, swallows, orioles and are a few of the migratory birds that find a safe haven in coffee trees in the tropics. The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center has documented sightings of up to 150 different bird species in a shaded coffee farm compared to an unshaded coffee farm of 5 to 20. Conventional coffee plantations are a toxic environment where plants, berries, and insects eaten by birds may be saturated with posions. Due to the lack of tropical rainforests, shade grown plantation practices have become increasingly important in providing a secondary home for migratory birds.
The declining populations of migratory birds in the U.S. and in your back garden in the spring is a direct correlation of the lack of shade grown coffee farms and deforestation.
All of Kalani coffees are Certified Organic with the ammendment of Shade Grown as a requirement in the Certification.