Search Results (15)

The by-products of green coffee processing are rich in compounds that can be recycled for their possible use in the production of beverages, fertilizers and weed control in production areas. The objective of this work was to identify the organic and inorganic bioactive compounds of green coffee and the coffee by-products related to the production of origin, such as dried cascara (skin-pulp), parchment and silverskin (unroasted), in order to investigate the role their biomolecules may have in reuse through practices and local knowledge, not yet valued. The metabolomic profile by HPLC-ESI-HRMS of the aqueous extract of the dried cascara highlighted 93 non-volatile molecules, the highest number reported for dried cascara. They belong to groups of organic acids (12), alkaloids (5), sugars (5), fatty acids (2), diglycerides (1), amino acids (18), phospholipids (7), vitamins (5), phenolic acids (11), flavonoids (8), chlorogenic acids (17), flavones (1) and terpenes (1). For the first time, we report the use of direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) for the identification of metabolites in aqueous extracts of dried cascara, parchment, silverskin and green coffee. The DART analysis mainly showed the presence of caffeine and chlorogenic acids in all the extracts; additionally, sugar adducts and antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols were detected. The mineral content (K, Ca, P, S, Mg and Cl) by EDS spectrometry in the by-products and green coffee showed a relatively high content of K in the dried cascara and green coffee, while Ca was detected in double quantity in the silverskin. These metabolomic and mineral profile data allow enhancement of the link between the quality of green coffee and its by-products and the traditional local practices in the crop-growing area. This consolidates the community’s experience in reusing by-products, thereby minimizing the impact on the environment and generating additional income for coffee growers’ work, in accordance with the principles of circular economy and bioeconomy. Full article

Understanding the impact of drought stress on Arabica coffee physiology and metabolism is essential in the pursuit of developing drought-resistant varieties. In this study, we explored the physiological and metabolite changes in coffee genotypes exhibiting varying degrees of tolerance to drought—namely, the relatively tolerant Ca74110 and Ca74112, and the sensitive Ca754 and CaJ-19 genotypes—under well-watered conditions and during terminal drought stress periods at two time points (0 and 60 days following the onset of stress). The metabolite profiling uncovered significant associations between the growth and the physiological characteristics of coffee genotypes with distinct drought tolerance behaviors. Initially, no marked differences were observed among the genotypes or treatments. However, at the 60-day post-drought onset time point, notably higher shoot growth, biomass, CO₂ assimilation, pigments, and various physiological parameters were evident, particularly in the relatively tolerant genotypes. The metabolite profiling revealed elevations in glucose, maltose, amino acids, and organic acids, and decreases in other metabolites. These alterations were more pronounced in the drought-tolerant genotypes, indicating a correlation between enhanced compatible solutes and energy-associated metabolites crucial for drought tolerance mechanisms. This research introduces GC-MS-based metabolome profiling to the study of Ethiopian coffee, shedding light on its intricate responses to drought stress and paving the way for the potential development of drought-resistant coffee seedlings in intensified agro-ecological zones. Full article

The use of rock powders is an agricultural practice that facilitates the agroecological transition and autonomy of many farmers. These inputs should be used in conjunction with management systems that enhance the weathering of the minerals contained in the rocks. This study aimed to assess the impact of incorporating gneiss powder on soil quality and coffee cultivation within agroecological and organic frameworks, encompassing agroforestry systems (AFSs) as well as areas fully exposed to sunlight (FS). Comprehensive analyses, including chemical, microbiological, and physical assessments, were carried out on the soil. The study involved evaluating various parameters such as electrical conductivity, grain density, total titratable acidity, and pH of the exudates to gauge the coffee quality. Following a 24-month application of rock powder, noteworthy observations included increased soil moisture in agroforestry systems (AFSs), presumably attributable to enhanced nutrient availability (potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc) derived from the gneiss powder. In addition, a higher level of CO₂ was derived from microbial respiration than from soil production. Similarly, coffee beans presented lower electrical conductivity, higher density, and fewer defects in AFSs than fully exposed sun systems (FS). The total titratable acidity values remain consistent with the limits indicated in the literature for quality coffees; the pH values, however, were lower. The results suggest that the use of gneiss powder enhances soil microorganism activity and accelerates the biological weathering of minerals for coffee plantations in AFSs. Full article

Vegetation connectivity is an essential aspect of the habitat complexity that impacts species interactions at local scales. However, agricultural intensification reduces connectivity in agroforestry systems, including coffee agroecosystems, which may hinder the movement of natural enemies and reduce the ecosystem services that they provide. Ants play an important role in regulating the coffee berry borer (CBB), which is the most damaging coffee pest. For arboreal ant communities, the connections between trees are important structures that facilitate ant mobility, resource recruitment, foraging success, and pest control ability. To better understand how connectivity impacts arboreal ants in coffee agroecosystems, we conducted an experiment to assess the impact of artificial (string) and naturally occurring vegetation (vines, leaves, branches) connectivity on Azteca sericeasur behavior on coffee plants. We compared ant activity, resource recruitment, and CBB removal rates across three connectivity treatments connecting coffee plants to A. sericeasur nest trees: vegetation connectivity, string, and control (not connected) treatments. We found higher rates of ant activity, resource recruitment, and CBB removal on plants with naturally occurring vegetation connections to A. sericeasur nest trees. Artificial connectivity (string) increased the rates of resource recruitment and CBB removal but to a lesser extent than vegetation connectivity. Moreover, vegetation connectivity buffered reductions in ant activity with distance from the ant nest tree. These results reinforce how habitat complexity in the form of vegetation connectivity impacts interspecific interactions at the local scale. Our results also suggest that leaving some degree of vegetation connectivity between coffee plants and shade trees can promote ant-mediated biological pest control in coffee systems. Full article

Small producers are participating more and more in the debate on moving towards sustainable agriculture. Natural resources are given as the main reason, but these producers also base their decisions on the need to produce enough food to feed their families and strengthen local economies. During the transition, however, economic and productive sustainability represents a real challenge for the producers and the organizations to which they belong. This study analyzes the experiences of coffee-growing families located in the department of Cauca, Colombia. These families opted for a transition from conventional management to certified organic coffee production while continuing—within the framework of the agroecological transition—to produce and market food. The study aim consisted of identifying those factors that favor or pose a threat to remaining within the certification, as well as the degree of importance of these factors as they relate to the sustainability of the family production units (FPU). To achieve this, a qualitative research approach was adopted that required collaborative work tools involving producers, technicians, and researchers. Limiting factors to holding the organic certification, as identified from the results, were the precariousness of the FPUs, their dispersion and their heterogeneity, limited access to the supply chain, and the requirements for labor, while factors that favored transition were related to the extensive knowledge of the FPUs, their capacity for productive and economic diversification, the organization of collective work and the revitalization of other productive initiatives that achieve the commitment of different groups of producers. The contribution of this study lies in helping to re-design sustainability strategies with groups of small producers of coffee. Full article

Contemporary ecology and agronomy point to the many benefits of agroforestry crop systems for the provision of ecosystem services by regenerating native ecologies, and in many contexts, socio-economic benefits for coffee farmers, especially the contribution of nitrogen-fixing trees’ litter to soil nutrition and water retention. However, the implementation of agroforestry in coffee cultivation is thus far incomplete and uptake has been uneven. In this paper, we examine the adoption and non-adoption of agroforestry coffee growing techniques as a reflection of the historical, social and cultural embeddedness of smallholder coffee cultivation. It is structured as a narrative literature review contextualized with the results of surveys of smallholder coffee farmers in Colombia, Malawi and Uganda regarding their perceptions of agroforestry coffee in their respective contexts. Findings suggest that coffee farmers’ perceptions of agroforestry and the decision to implement or remove it are influenced by factors included in the notion of embeddedness, involving social relations, historical memory and formal and informal institutions, as well as practical capabilities. Intention and action are sometimes discordant due to the complex interactions of these institutional factors, and they often conflict with outside interveners’ expectations based on epistemological differences. The study illuminates some of the main sources, manifestations and dimensions of the social embeddedness of agricultural practices which mediate the perception of current practices, the sacrifice implied by potential changes, the credibility of theories linking action with outcome and the desirability of expected outcomes. Full article

The biodiversity of natural competitors is vital to key ecosystem services and agroecosystems’ benefits to society. The abundance and richness of hymenopteran parasitoid communities, and subsequently their services, are dependent on the variety of habitats in the different agroecological landscapes. Here, we monitored the fluctuation of predatory wasps and hymenopteran parasitoid populations and their impacts on coffee leaf miner infestations under different coffee plantation landscapes. Thus, 24 sampling plots were arranged in four cultivation systems: conventional (CONV), in transition to organic shaded (T.OSH), in transition to organic full-sun (T.OFS), and without pesticide (T.WOP). In each plot, leaves with intact mines were collected randomly once a month over a period of 23 months. Parasitoid species, coffee leaf miner infestation, predation, and parasitism were assessed based on the emerged parasitoids and wasps’ activity signs in the mines. The data on parasitoids revealed the presence of 621 hymenopteran parasitoids, of which, 420 were Braconids and 201 were Eulophids. Overall, the abundance of braconid specimens (67.6%) was greater, but the species richness was higher in Eulophids. The highest species richness of L. coffeella parasitoids was in T.OSH and T.OFS. Furthermore, in the coffee plants evaluated, the coffee leaf miner population is well established and does not cause economic damage, as the spontaneous action of predatory wasps and parasitoids, in addition to climatic factors, contributes to regulating these pest infestations. Of these parasitoids, the braconid Orgilus niger and Stiropius reticulatus were found to be promising and well-adapted control provider species. Full article

Agricultural practices of smallholder farming systems of Latin America can play an important role in reducing their exposure to the risks associated with climate extremes. To date, however, there is no systematic analysis of scientific evidence for the extent to which these practices can provide the multiple benefits needed for smallholders to adapt to climate extremes. In this paper, we searched scientific databases to review scientific evidence of the benefit provided by twenty-six practices in crops commonly farmed by smallholders in the region and highly relevant for their food and nutrition security; namely, coffee, maize and beans. We reviewed scientific documents (n = 304) published in the period 1953–2021 to register evidence of the practices’ effects on fifty-five benefits. Our analysis of these documents found measurement records (n = 924) largely based on field experiments (85%). Our results show strong evidence of the multiple benefits that some ecosystem-based practices (e.g., tree-based practices for coffee and no tillage for maize) can provide to support the adaptation to climate extremes of smallholder farming systems and enhance a farm’s natural assets (e.g., biodiversity, water, soil). We also found that the majority of research on practices in the region focused more on the socioeconomic dimension (54%) rather than on the capacity of practices to improve the natural assets of a smallholder farmers or reduce the impact of climate extremes. Given these knowledge gaps, we discuss the importance of a renovated investment in research to address existing knowledge gaps. Our concluding suggestions for future research include the need for systematizing existing knowledge from different sources (e.g., peer-reviewed, gray literature, farmers, extension agencies, etc.), and to assess the extent to which these practices can provide multiple benefits for smallholder farming systems by improving their wellbeing, reducing their vulnerability to different hydroclimatic extremes while also contributing to ecosystem services provision at the landscape level. Full article

Vertisols are among the most extensive soil types in the Ethiopian highlands, occurring in a wide range of agro-ecological zones where complex crop–livestock-based farming systems are practiced. Sustainable soil management on vertisols always meets with physical characteristics that are driven by clay mineralogy, swelling, shrinking, and risk of temporary waterlogging. The latter causes substantial spatial variability and turns vertisols into obnoxious study material, when compared to other soil classification orders. In this study, we have explored soil properties across different farming systems using soil profile and analytical data generated by the CASCAPE project; an action research project funded by the Dutch government for capacity building on the scaling up of evidence-based best practices for increased agricultural production in Ethiopia. In addition, the effects of variations in vertisol properties on crop yield and fertilizer response were examined through fertilizer trials in different locations. Teff (Eragrostis teff Zucc.) and wheat (Triticum aestivium), the two cereal crops commonly grown on vertisols, were used as test crops. Five treatments of NPSZnB—nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, zinc and boron containing blend (50, 100, 150, 200 and 300 kg/ha)—and two treatments comparing NPS and diammonium phosphate (DAP) with the blend containing Zn and B were included in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results revealed that soil quality was generally poor under the highland cereal systems, i.e., sorghum–teff–livestock mixed system (FS₁) and wheat–maize–teff–barley–livestock system (FS₂) compared to the enset–coffee–cereal–livestock complex system (FS₃), which cannot only be attributed to geological history, but also to the way the land use systems have shaped the soils. The emerging differences in soil properties significantly (p < 0.01) affected crop yields. The soil properties that had the largest influence on teff and wheat yield were soil pH, organic carbon (OC), available sulfur (S), exchangeable potassium (K) and some micronutrients (B, Fe, Mn and Cu). Teff grain and biomass yield were inversely related, unlike wheat. Regarding the rate of fertilizer application, wheat responded significantly up to the highest level (300 kg/ha), but teff yield leveled off earlier. The blend fertilizers did not perform any better than NPS or DAP alone. Given the extent and the importance of vertisols in Ethiopian agriculture, comprehensive future outlooks are needed, including the options for cluster farming and mechanization to realize economies of scale and more efficient use of capital and labor inputs. Full article

Robusta coffee (C. canephora) covers 36% of world coffee production and has strategic relevance as a beverage that it is produced by thousands of small-scale producers around the world. Although mainly grown in Africa and Asia as opposed to Latin America, this situation is changing. Colombia is recognized as a producer of high-quality Arabica (C. arabica L.) coffee, however we argue that Robusta represents a great economic opportunity for small scale producers, for the industrialization of new products and for emerging coffee chains. Therefore, the objective of this review is to outline the agronomic value of Robusta coffee as a “new crop” in Colombia. As background we compare the better-known Arabica to the Robusta coffees from a Latin American perspective. Robusta shows differences in geographical distribution, genetics, originating species, physiology and phenology. Robusta and Arabica also differ in their chemistry, sensory attributes, industrial use, segments of market and price. Despite the marked differences between the two coffees, the popularity and consumption of Robusta has been on the increase due to the expansion of markets in emerging economies and in developed markers for home espresso preparation where it is used in high quality coffee blends. Robusta is currently replacing areas of other coffees due to hotter temperatures to which it is adapted. Although Robusta is still new to Colombia, this species has potential adaptation in lowland areas considered “non-traditional” for Colombian coffee cultivation and as a valuable component of agro-ecological production systems. Robusta is a novel crop option for certain regions that is needed for the future of coffee in Latin America and for growth of coffee production and consumption in Colombia. Full article

Local knowledge can be a strategy for coping with extreme events and adapting to climate change. In Mexico, extreme events and climate change projections suggest the urgency of promoting local adaptation policies and strategies. This paper provides an assessment of adaptation actions based on the local knowledge of coffee farmers in southern Mexico. The strategies include collective and individual adaptation actions that farmers have established. To determine their viability and impacts, carbon stocks and fluxes in the system’s aboveground biomass were projected, along with water balance variables. Stored carbon contents are projected to increase by more than 90%, while maintaining agroforestry systems will also help serve to protect against extreme hydrological events. Finally, the integration of local knowledge into national climate change adaptation plans is discussed and suggested with a local focus. We conclude that local knowledge can be successful in conserving agroecological coffee production systems. Full article

This study was carried out in the southern zone of Tigray to identify and characterize traditional common agroforestry practices and understand the existing knowledge of farm households on the management of trees under different agroforestry in different agroecologies. We conducted reconnaissance and diagnostic surveys by systematically and randomly selecting 147 farming households in the three agroecologies of the study area. A logit regression model was employed to determine how these factors influence farmers’ adoption decision. The findings indicate that a majority of the households (46.3%) were engaged in homestead agroforestry practices (AFP), followed by live fence (25.9%) and farmland or parkland (15%) agroforestry practices. The study identified Carica papaya, Malus domestic, Persea americana, Mangifera indica, Ziziphus spina-christi, and Balanites aegyptiaca as the most dominant fruit tree species found in the home garden agroforestry. In total, 68% of the households had some of these fruit trees around their home gardens. We also established the three most dominant agricultural production systems as: i) Agricultural production system, composed of fruit tree + cereal crops + Ziziphus spina-christi + Balanites aegyptiaca and/or acacia species; ii) agricultural production system, consisting of cash crops, like Coffee arabica and Catha edulies + fruit trees + Cordia africana + Balanites aegyptiaca and/or acacia species; and iii) agricultural production, composed of fruit trees + vegetables within a boundary of Sesbania sesban and other acacia species in the modern irrigated land. Furthermore, 90.16% of the households in the highlands reported a shortage of farmland for planting trees as the main constraint. About 34.44% farmers reported using leaves of Cordia africana, Balanites aegyptiaca, pods of acacia species, and crop residue as the main source of animal fodder. In total, 86.4% of the households also recognized the importance of multipurpose trees for soil fertility enhancement, control of runoff, microclimate amelioration, environmental protection, and dry season animal fodder. According to the logit model analysis, sex, family size, educational level, and landholding significantly (p < 0.05) influence the household’s role in the adoption of agroforestry practices. Based on these findings, farmers used different adaptation strategies, such as planting of multi-purpose trees (34.7%), conservation tillage to minimize both erosion and runoff potentials as soil conservation strategies (27.2%), varying planting dates, use of drought tolerant crop varieties (16.3%), and others based on farmers’ indigenous knowledge passed down from generation to generation. We conclude that agroforestry practices are important components of farming systems in Tigray, resulting in diversified products and ecological benefits that improve socio-ecological resilience. Therefore, we recommend that agroforestry practices are mainstreamed into development plans, especially in agriculture. Full article

Today humanity faces several complex problems, two of which are global warming and the loss of biological diversity. An agroecological matrix approach, conceives the territory as patches of natural and cultivated vegetation, interconnected to maintain watershed integrity. Many ethnic groups maintain a high biological heterogeneity as in the case of the agrological matrix. This study analyzed features and trends in a specific agroecological matrix, integrating local and scientific knowledge with environmental and social information, as a complex system. For the last 15 years we studied agroecological spaces used by the Ntaj’uy (Zoque-Popoluca) people in Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico. Participatory methods were used to understand social interactions and land management decisions. Ecology field methods allowed us to assess soil loss, litter production, water quality, and vegetation structure. Soil erosion, vegetation fragmentation and social marginalization are the most important problems in the region; the tropical sub-evergreen forest has decreased by about 60%, the deciduous forest is down by 80%, and cultivated pastures have increased over 400%. Coffee and milpa agroecosystems could be improved, through product diversification, along with interconnectivity among vegetation patches, to prevent environmental degradation, and improve conditions to reach food sovereignty and income diversification, in a context of Ntaj’uy self-determination in their territories. Full article

Securing land management systems that maintain land covers is important for sustaining human livelihoods in Africa; however, simultaneously maintaining a viable natural environment is a serious challenge. Aggravated by rapid population growth and biodiversity loss, Ethiopia is an illustrative example of this issue. Stressing the need for a bottom–up stakeholder perspective, we identify and map land covers that deliver multiple ecosystem services that are important for the livelihoods of rural and urban citizens in the southern part of Ethiopia’s Rift Valley. First, we interviewed 400 urban and rural residents to identify the land covers that deliver desired ecosystem services in three agroecological zones, representing a steep gradient in the livelihood conditions. Second, to support the inclusion of priority land covers in spatial planning, we located spatial concentrations of individual land covers providing bundles of desired ecosystem services. The majority of urban respondents selected homegarden agroforestry (92% of respondents from this group), freshwater lake (82%), river (70%), agroforestry shade-grown coffee (65%), natural old-growth forest (59%), rural settlement (52%), Afromontane undifferentiated forest (52%), and urban areas (73%) as important for their livelihood. In contrast, the majority of rural respondents selected three land covers: homegarden agroforestry (80% of respondents from this group), agroforestry shade-grown coffee (58%), and urban areas (65%). To maintain the identified natural and semi-natural priority land covers, at least two land management strategies are crucial to sustain the provision of ecosystem services for the livelihoods of both urban and rural people, and biodiversity conservation: (1) maintaining traditional agroforestry land-use practices, and (2) enhancing the protection and sustainable management of natural forest ecosystems. Additionally, integrated spatial planning is needed that considers both rural local community-based resource management that focuses on local needs for employment and products, and global demands to conserve biodiversity. Full article

The biocultural richness of Mexico is among the highest worldwide. A history of over 7000 years of agriculture, and a persistent tradition of peasant social resistance movements that climaxed during the agrarian revolution in the early 20th century, continued in the indigenous resistance in Chiapas leading to the Zapatista uprising in 1992, and continues to be expressed in present local and regional confrontations for the defense of territory. Scholars agree that agroecology conceptually includes ecological and agricultural scientific research activity, empirical practices applied for agriculture, and the nuclear goal of numerous rural social movements. What has not been sufficiently established is how these three spheres of agroecology interact with each other and what emergent synergies they generate. Taking as an example the production in Mexico of three key agricultural goods—maize, coffee, and honey—our paper briefly reviews the existing relations between knowledge generation, agroecological practices, and rural social processes. We conclude by reflecting on the role of agroecological research in the context of an agrarian sustainability committed to helping reduce social inequity, marginality, and exploitation, as much as reverting the severe deterioration of the natural environment: both common issues in contemporary Mexico. Full article