Alexandre H. Mas and Thomas V. Dietsch. 2004. Linking shade coffee certification to biodiversity conservation: butterflies and birds in Chiapas, Mexico. Ecological Applications 14:642–654.

Certification program	Criteria requirement
A) Diversity of shade tree species
		Finca Belen Rustic 24 spp./0.2 ha	Finca Irlanda Restoration 13 spp./0.2 ha	Finca Irlanda Production 8 spp./0.2 ha	Finca Belen Production 9 spp./0.2 ha	Finca Hmbrgo Production 5 spp./0.2 ha
Specialty Coffee Assoc. Draft Shade Definition	Multiple species mostly native	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS
Rainforest Alliance ECO-O.K. Coffee	10 native spp. w/ 1 of each/1.73 acres	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL
Smithsonian Mgr Brd. Ctr. "Bird-Friendly" Coffee	10 spp./ha	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL
Mexican Shade Coffee	Min. of 10 spp./ha following curve	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL
Mexican Shade Coffee PLUS	Min. of 10 spp./ha following curve	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL
B) Average height of "backbone" shade trees
		Finca Belen Rustic 12.5 m	Finca Irlanda Restoration 8.98 m	Finca Irlanda Production 9.03 m	Finca Belen Production 7.33 m	Finca Hmbrgo Production 7.94 m
Specialty Coffee Assoc. Draft Shade Definition	NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT	...	...	...	...	...
Rainforest Alliance ECO-O.K. Coffee	NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT	...	...	...	...	...
Smithsonian Mgr Brd. Ctr. "Bird-Friendly" Coffee	12–15 m	PASS	FAIL	FAIL	FAIL	FAIL
Mexican Shade Coffee	12 m	PASS	FAIL	FAIL	FAIL	FAIL
Mexican Shade Coffee PLUS	12 m	PASS	FAIL	FAIL	FAIL	FAIL
C) Percent canopy cover
		Finca Belen Rustic 92.25%	Finca Irlanda Restoration 54.25%	Finca Irlanda Production 58.82%	Finca Belen Production 48.22%	Finca Hmbrgo Production 14.51%
Specialty Coffee Assoc. Draft Shade Definition	Min. of 40%
Rainforest Alliance ECO-O.K. Coffee	Min. of 40%	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL
Smithsonian Mgr Brd. Ctr. "Bird-Friendly" Coffee	Min. of 40% after pruning	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL
Mexican Shade Coffee	Min. of 40% after pruning	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL
Mexican Shade Coffee PLUS	Min. of 60% after pruning	PASS	FAIL	BORDERLINE	FAIL	FAIL
D) Percent presence of epiphytes
		Finca Belen Rustic 28.21%	Finca Irlanda Buffer/Restor. 13.02%	Finca Irlanda Production 17.14%	Finca Belen Production 0.00%	Finca Hmbrgo Production 5.88%
Specialty Coffee Assoc. Draft Shade Definition	NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT	...	...	...	...	...
Rainforest Alliance ECO-O.K. Coffee	epiphyte should be conserved	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL	PASS
Smithsonian Mgr Brd. Ctr. "Bird-Friendly" Coffee	no timing of epiphytes	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL	PASS
Mexican Shade Coffee	no removal of epiphytes	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL	PASS
Mexican Shade Coffee PLUS	no removal of epiphytes	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL	PASS
E) Season of pruning
		Finca Belen Rustic None	Finca Irlanda Restoration None	Finca Irlanda Production February	Finca Belen Production March	Finca Hmbrgo Production February
Specialty Coffee Assoc. Draft Shade Definition	NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT	...	...	...	...	...
Rainforest Alliance ECO-O.K. Coffee	restricted during dry season	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS
Smithsonian Mgr Brd. Ctr. "Bird-Friendly" Coffee	should be done in rainy season	PASS	PASS	FAIL	FAIL	FAIL
Mexican Shade Coffee	NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT	...	...	...	...	...
Mexican Shade Coffee PLUS	NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT	...	...	...	...	...
F) Restoration and forest conservation projects
		Finca Belen Rustic	Finca Irlanda Restoration	Finca Irlanda Production	Finca Belen Production	Finca Hmbrgo Production
Specialty Coffee Assoc. Draft Shade Definition	NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT	...	...	...	...	...
Rainforest Alliance ECO-O.K. Coffee	existing patches must be conserved	PASS	PASS	PASS	BORDERLINE	BORDERLINE
Smithsonian Mgr Brd. Ctr. "Bird-Friendly" Coffee	NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT	...	...	...	...	...
Mexican Shade Coffee	must be evidence of regeneration	PASS	PASS	FAIL	FAIL	FAIL
Mexican Shade Coffee PLUS	must be evidence of regeneration	PASS	PASS	FAIL	FAIL	FAIL
G) Composition of "backbone" shade trees
		Finca Belen Rustic 3% Inga 19% dom.	Finca Irlanda Restoration 45% Inga 33% dom.	Finca Irlanda Production 46% Inga 40% dom.	Finca Belen Production 72% Inga 53% dom.	Finca Hmbrgo Production 41% Inga 29% dom.
Specialty Coffee Assoc. Draft Shade Definition	NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT	...	...	...	...	...
Rainforest Alliance ECO-O.K. Coffee	at least 70% perennial	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS
Smithsonian Mgr Brd. Ctr. "Bird-Friendly" Coffee	<70% Inga spp.	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL	PASS
Mexican Shade Coffee	<70% one spp. and all nat.	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS
Mexican Shade Coffee PLUS	<50% one spp. and all nat.	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL	PASS
H) Presence and height of emergent trees
		Finca Belen Rustic 46%>bckbn. 18%>15 m	Finca Irlanda Restoration 40%>bckbn. 2%>15 m	Finca Irlanda Production 43%>bckbn. 3%>15 m	Finca Belen Production 38%>bckbn. 3%>15 m	Finca Hmbrgo Production 35%>bckbn. 0%>15 m
Specialty Coffee Assoc. Draft Shade Definition	min. two layers top layer >10 m	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL
Rainforest Alliance ECO-O.K. Coffee	20% of canopy >15 m (as goal)	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS
Smithsonian Mgr Brd. Ctr. "Bird-Friendly" Coffee	20% of canopy >"backbone"	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS
Mexican Shade Coffee	presence of trees >15 m	PASS	PASS	PASS	PASS	FAIL
Mexican Shade Coffee PLUS	defined stratum >20 m	PASS	FAIL	FAIL	FAIL	FAIL