Our sister company NKG Tropical Farm Management recently published a concept note on biodiversity preservation and enhancement concerning NKG´s coffee farms Finca La Puebla in Mexico, Kaweri Coffee Plantation in Uganda and Fazenda da Lagoa in Brazil. This concept note serves as a first step towards an integrated biodiversity preservation concept for all three farms.
These farms are guided by the principal of responsible farming, which includes environmental and social concepts in- and outside the farms, plus certifications according to UTZ and Rainforest Alliance where adequate. Responsible farming is based on the same set of values on all three farms, however, due to specific environment and national laws, different situations exist in each company, to which each farm has to adapt and obtain the respective maximum possible.
In the concept note it has been made accessible that “these three farms foster a range of collaborations with local institutes, universities and other interest groups, in environmental as well as social activities. The experiences over decades show that commercial coffee cultivation and environmental preservation is no contradiction.
To the contrary; large plantations with the right mindset, can take on a leading function in safeguarding flora and fauna and even become a safe haven for endangered species in light of strong environmental degradation in many tropical countries. Environmental preservation is an integral part of each farm’s operation and various, largely internal activities have supported this objective. By recognizing the ever-higher importance of environmental preservation, this concept serves to intensify these efforts, with a stronger and more conscious long-term effort.
It should bring concerned parties together and consider different activities from taking full biosphere inventory over biodiversity protection to education and creation of awareness in a local and international context. Environmental preservation should involve local schools and villages in collaboration with dedicated local governmental organizations as well as NGOs.”
In case you want to find out more about each farm´s contribution to biodiversity, we provided three informative fact sheets. These sheets highlight the respective climate and biosphere, special environmental work and collaborations as well as outlook and challenges:
