Ecological processes and farmer livelihoods in shaded coffee production

Shade coffee agroecosystems have exceptional potential for the conservation of tropical plant and animal species, in addition to producing high quality coffee. This article shows how this potential is linked to the farmers’ livelihood strategies in six co-operatives of El Salvador and Nicaragua. The use of a Participatory Action Research approach facilitated the exchange of information between researchers and farmers. This mutual learning process helped to increase understanding of the ecological processes in shade grown coffee. This greater understanding has made it possible to..