So coffee isn’t the first thing I think of when discussing the Birds and Bees…?
But here me out! Birds help control pests that eat/ruin the coffee fruit and Bees help to pollinate the coffee plants! Plus, there’s more!
From Phys.org:
A recent study researched how birds helped control pests and how bees helped pollinate coffee farms. The research showed how working with wildlife can help farmers make more money. But it is just one example of the benefits nature gives us that we take for granted.
Nature purifies the water we drink and the air we breathe, it helps control disease and nature reserves give us amazing spaces to relax and exercise. It also gives us direct financial benefits. For example, global crop pollination by bees and other pollinators such as birds is worth $195 billion (£160 million). Recent estimates show 75% of leading global food crops), such as potatoes, soybeans, and tomatoes, are dependent upon animal pollination.
How cool is that! Birds and Bees actually help farmers increase their yield and make more money!! But let’s see how!
Although Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) can self-pollinate, pollinators increase fruit set (when a flower transforms into a berry) size, and yield. Farmers often think of birds as a pest species, eating seeds and crops. But birds forage on the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari), a small beetle which is one the most harmful pests to coffee crops.
So, when you talk to your kids about the Birds and Bees, do it while enjoying a delicious cup of coffee!!