Expanding the Smithsonian Bird Friendly Coffee certification program across northern Venezuela

The US Fish and Wildlife Agency Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Fund (NMBCA) awarded a grant to the RSI and American Bird Conservancy (ABC) to pilot a “Bird Friendly Coffee” certification program on 20 family farms across 200 hectares in northern Venezuela. Luis Arrieta, Dr. Laurie Fajardo and Miguel Arvelo will be leading this exciting project, which will not only save habitats for migratory and resident bird and other species; it will also strengthen and preserve communities and their cultural heritage. Most importantly, it will dramatically increase farmer incomes and incentives to protect critically endangered tropical dry forests – as well as generate more locally grown high-quality coffee for RSI chocolate!