In the magnificent highlands of the North Nicaragua, located between two natural reserves, La Cumplida is not your middle coffee farm. For two decades, mass reflection and innovative agricultural practice allowed it to convert the region, showing how another approach to coffee cultivation can help restore ecosystems and strengthen lively means of existence.
A stretching farm acquired by a French agronomist in a pore in the 1990s currently occupies more than 5400 acres in the central valleys of the country. Now he headed the son of Clement Eric Ponnoino, La Cumplida sells coffee grown in the shade and woodwood, while at the same time caring for primary forests placed in preservation.
For many years, Ponçon and La Cumplida have made long -term investments in agricultural methods that strengthen the stability of agricultural crops and support livelihood. Coffee with love is hidden under a canopy of local trees, improving pollination and reducing pests. When plant leaves fall to the ground, the soil retains more water and birds and insects.
The farm worked with an alliance in the tropical forests to receive certification of their practice as part of the recently declared organization Regenerative agricultural standardThe Global Leadership of non -profit regenerative agriculture, Juliana Jaramillo, explains that this certification measures the standards of the farm regarding soil health and fertility, biodiversity and climate resistance. “We are always looking for various practices or areas that bring several advantages,” Jaramillo said. The reduction in the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers reduced the costs of the farm and made it possible to plant various varieties of coffee on the farm. “When you go into regenerative space, you begin to see that the ecosystem is restored and begins to provide better services,” she added.
Some of the trees that cover coffee, such as red tree and walnut, were sustainably collected and sold for the construction of houses and schools in the local community, providing the farm with an additional source of income. La Cumplida focuses on landing a mixture of trees and agricultural crops so that farmers can collect several products over time, creating a more stable and reliable income. In addition to wood, trees in this canopy produce flowers rich in nectar and pollen, and La Cumplida recently began to sell honey. “We had the first crop last year, and we are very excited, because it is honey honey without pesticides and a product of agricultural flowers,” said Ponson. Then he hopes to present Melipona Honey, valuable medicinal honey, which was used by Mayans and Aztecs for healing and ritual.
These practices helped the biodiversity return to La Cumplida. As in the most part of the highlands of Central America, at the end of the 19th century, the Matalpa region in Nicaragua was deprived of cattle and coffee agriculture. But the La Cumplida approach to coffee cultures now improves both the Earth and the health of the ecosystem. “We immediately saw the connection between birds and regenerative actions that were in the field,” said Viviana Ruis-Guterres, a quantitative ecologist from the cornellic laboratory of ornithology, which visited the farm in 2018.
From the moment of her visit, Ruis-Gutherres worked with the local community to examine the birds, collecting information on the field on the farm and through the World Database EbirdThe field for example, Kamyshevs are one of the 240 species of birds currently around the farm. These polls can help identify how smart agricultural methods can continue to improve the ecosystem. For example, he added Ruis-Guterres, agricultural workers learned that leaving a larger number of standing dead trees leads to a larger number of woodpeckers. “Birds are not just really good indicators – it is fun to control them. Most farmers are very proud that they protect. Birds are evidence of their work. ”
For Ruiz-Gutierrez La Cumplida, it offers an idea of how the future of agriculture in the region might look like. “I worked in coffee for a long time,” said Ruis-Gutherres. “But the systems in which I worked did not include so many different regeneration practices. La Cumplida is such a large farm, and the family has been made for so long stability. This is really unique. “
The key to the success of the farm is a constant change in its approach, says La Cumplida Certification Director, Midalia Espinosis Luna. “We are always looking for alternatives for implementation,” said Espinosa Luna, who worked in La Cumplida for two decades. “Over time, you must try different varieties of coffee, experiment in different partnerships and document everything so that we can look for areas to improve.”
For Ponçon, the regenerative production of coffee should also benefit local farmers and surrounding rural communities. It is focused on identifying needs such as housing, access to water and education, including conducting summer camps for local children. Ponzor said that neighboring communities are made from farm workers, many of which are illiterate. “Investing in their needs allows La Cumplida to continue to attract labor.”
He learned that there are some important barriers to farmers, including cool profitable expenses for farm owners and the need to update farmers' skills. “This is long-term investment,” Ponson said, while the coffee market is very unstable. Nevertheless, studies show that over time, a regenerative approach can increase the farm's net income by 20-30 percent.
Experts such as Jaramillo from the Alliance of Tropical Forests believe that profit will grow with an increase in consumer interest. “Consumers are more and more know about the advantages of good agriculture, the advantages of adaptation to climate change, maintaining biodiversity and its connection with the best health and livelihood,” said Jaramillo.
“Regenerative agriculture is no longer a choice – now this is a necessity.”
Traditional agriculture is one of the largest drivers of climate change and the global loss of biodiversity, and the continuation of the business, as usual, is simply not an option. What if we could radically reconsider our global agricultural system? What if we could not only reduce the harm that it causes, but also actively restores damaged ecosystems and heals the health of the Earth? Regenerative agriculture is becoming one of the most promising answers. Together with millions of farmers and rural workers around the world, the alliance of tropical forests helps to lead to a more sustainable, fair and regenerative future for coffee.
