More soil collection is underway on IOC farms in the Yoro region of Honduras!
Carried out by youth conservationists, this fieldwork is critical to accurately quantifying the carbon-sequestering capabilities of the soil on Yoro Model lands.
Yoro Biological Corridor researchers are about two-thirds of the way done taking samples now, and expect have the soil data by this fall. (The first samples were taken back in October-November of 2022).
The Yoro Biological Corridor (YBC) was represented at the annual, global “All-Partner Meeting” of the Sustainable Coffee Challenge (SCC); A two-day event that took place March 7-8 in Tampa, Florida.
Proponents of the YBC, Mesoamerican Development Institute (MDI), were in attendance along with delegates from some of the largest coffee companies in the world, including Nestlé, Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, Starbucks, Keurig Dr Pepper, Lavazza and Starbucks. The overall objective of the meeting was bring coffee industry leaders together in one place to address sustainability issues within the industry, including coffee’s carbon footprint and upcoming EU deforestation laws.
As this year’s coffee harvest gets plucked from the trees, Integrated Open Canopy™ test farms are busily being studied!
A defect analysis is underway here, providing quantitative data of natural pest control (i.e. ecosystem services).
This puts a scientifically proven price on how well birds combat the coffee borer beetle, so that farmers can get adequately paid for having organic pest control on their farms.
There’s more than just sustainable coffee in the Yoro Biological Corridor … These are the very first soil samples collected from Integrated Open Canopy™ (IOC) coffee farms!
These samples are arriving at a local lab, so that scientists can accurately quantify the carbon-sequestering capabilities of IOC coffee farms, (which are half coffee farm, half restored forest).
A very productive meeting today between the Mayor of Yoro, Martha Puentes, and the Yoro Biological Corridor team (above).
In addition to a National Park Co-Managers meeting (below).
These meetings are part of the on-the-ground work to coordinate development of the right model for the region, which is plagued by immediate deforestation and water scarcity problems. This developing ‘Yoro Model’ leads to a fully protected forest corridor that also serves local communities.
Meet Ana Quiñonez and Fabiola Rodríguez! These two Honduran researchers are currently working on their doctoral degrees, studying the impacts of Integrated Open Canopy™ coffee farming on cloud forest conservation.
Ana is new to the Yoro Biological Corridor (YBC) team this year and Fabiola has been conducting studies with YBC for a multiple years. Learn more about IOC™ coffee farming by listening to Fabiola’s podcast.
Yoro Biological Corridor (YBC) recently received National Science Foundation (NSF) recognition & support!
As part of their ‘Growing ‘Convergence Research Project’, NSF is funding a coalition that will model the impact of Cafe Solar® clean technology & forest-restoring coffee cultivation, on watersheds, forest, and people. The $3.4 million project includes Tulane University; the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; University of North Carolina; and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.