The political ecology of shade coffee: perspectives from Jamaican Blue Mountain farmers
Graduation Date
2015
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Other
Program
Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, Environment and Community, 2015
Committee Chair Name
Matthew D. Johnson
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Shade-grown, Humboldt State University -- Theses -- Environment and Community, Coffee plants, Coffee growing
Abstract
Jamaica's Blue Mountains are heralded as one of the world's premier coffee growing regions. Previous ecological research in Jamaica has demonstrated that shade-grown coffee practices provide beneficial ecosystem services for farmers, yet most coffee farms in the Blue Mountains have very little shade. The socio-ecological factors that influence coffee cultivation choices in Jamaica have not been analyzed. By adopting a political ecology framework, the aim of this project was to unearth the political, economic and ecological drivers and constraints that inform and influence farmers' decisions for intercropping shade trees amongst their coffee plants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on farm-sites in the three parishes of the Blue Mountains: Portland, St. Andrews and St. Thomas. Results from this project reveal that the human-environment interactions of coffee producers are impacted by the interplay of on-farm, on-island and global variables. This necessitates reframing the value of ecosystem services provided by shade trees into a cohesive argument that resonates with the specific regional socio-ecological needs of Blue Mountain coffee farmers. Priorities for change should include: encouraging communities to re-learn the benefits and applications of organic soil fertility and the values of shade trees while exposing farmers to marketing research and strategies for pursuing conservation coffee niche markets.
Recommended Citation
Willis, Wendy Cristina, "The political ecology of shade coffee: perspectives from Jamaican Blue Mountain farmers" (2015). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 1530.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/1530
https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/jm214r75f