Muddy Boots

Smallholder coffee farmers face the challenge of protecting biodiversity while sustaining their incomes. This article explores insights from Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung’s event at Hamburg Sustainability Week 2025, highlighting agroforestry, soil conservation, and business-driven approaches that make biodiversity a viable and profitable part of coffee farming.

Biodiversity loss is threatening ecosystems worldwide and putting the future of coffee production at risk, as smallholder farmers already face declining soil fertility, poor pollination, irregular rainfall, and new pests that lower yields and income. This creates a tough dilemma for them: they must secure their livelihoods while also protecting the natural resources their farms rely on. To support farmers in this challenge, HRNS and its partners are developing strategies and implementing initiatives in Honduras, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Tanzania that promote biodiversity through locally tailored approaches, all aimed at improving farmer livelihoods while safeguarding the environment.