CafeiCanto was an agroforestry project that surged from the proposal called Shade Grown Coffee Farmers as Bird Custodians: Multiplying social, environmental and economic opportunities for farming communities in Puerto Rico through Agroforestry practices presented by Cafiesencia to the USDA Forest Service.
It was directed towards farmers and residents of the Municipalities of San Germán, Sabana Grande, Maricao, Yauco and Las Marias located near the Maricao, Susúa and Guilarte National Forests, to build capacity in sustainable agriculture, shade grown coffee, water conservation and bird monitoring and reporting.
CafeiCanto also provided the opportunity for farms to be evaluated for agro-ecotourism potential. This Project initiated under a Cooperative Agreement between Cafiesencia and the USDA Forest Service.
This project is the first one in Puerto Rico to combine farmer’s communities education and capacity building in shade grown coffee sustainable agroforestry with bird monitoring and eco-agritourism opportunities. The Project evaluated 18 farms and trained more than 30 individuals. The Project also identified 44 bird species with 23 endemics in 15 farms.
