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Ecological quality as a coffee quality enhancer. A review
Vania Torrez1, Camila Benavides-Frias2, Johanna Jacobi3
1Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia.
Agronomy for Sustainable Development
|February 7, 2023
Summary
Ecological quality, including shade trees and ecosystem functions, positively impacts coffee quality. Agroecosystem simplification harms coffee bean characteristics and organoleptic scores, highlighting the need to integrate ecological measures into quality definitions.
Area of Science:
- Agroecology
- Environmental Science
- Food Science
Background:
- Growing importance of coffee quality and sustainability.
- Increasing interest in the link between ecological quality and coffee production.
- Limited understanding of how biodiversity and ecosystem functions affect coffee quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the evidence on how ecological quality impacts *Coffea arabica* and *C. canephora* quality.
- To assess the influence of biodiversity (shade trees) and ecosystem functions on coffee bean characteristics.
- To synthesize findings from 78 studies on the ecological drivers of coffee quality.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of 78 studies.
- Analysis of ecological quality indicators: biodiversity (shade trees) and ecosystem functions (pollination, pest control, water/soil regulation).
- Assessment of coffee quality metrics: physical (bean size), biochemical, and organoleptic characteristics.
Main Results:
- Presence and diversity of shade trees positively influenced bean size, weight, and reduced rejected beans.
- Shade positively affected biochemical compounds and organoleptic quality, especially in diverse shade systems.
- High soil quality and improved water use efficiency due to shade enhanced coffee quality.
- Decreased ecological quality diminished ecosystem functions and negatively impacted bean quality.
Conclusions:
- Agroecosystem simplification is negatively correlated with coffee quality.
- Ecological quality, particularly shade tree diversity and ecosystem functions, is crucial for high-quality coffee.
- The definition of coffee quality should incorporate ecological quality measures, despite challenges in detecting all impacts in the final cup.
Keywords:
AgroforestryBiochemical compoundsBiodiversityCoffeaEcosystem functionsFinal cupOrganoleptic characteristicsPhysical characteristicsShade tree diversityMore Related Videos
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