Collaborative field program
Study ID: CHRS 01
Research question
How can shade restoration and biochar be implemented on working coffee farms?
Location and scope: Puerto Rico · Copper Hill participation.
Principal site: Copper Hill, Las Marías & Maricao, Puerto Rico · Program: USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities project (Puerto Rico)
Approach and context
Copper Hill took part in Sustainable Market Approaches for Regenerating Territories with Agricultural Goods in Puerto Rico (SMART AG PR), a climate-smart coffee project under the USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. The thesis (McOsker, 2026) describes the project as planned for 2023–2028. This record describes Copper Hill’s past participation only.
Copper Hill’s role
Field practices included planting shade trees and applying biochar. The thesis reports that Copper Hill received technical assistance for shade-tree establishment and biochar application through the project.
The thesis models the farm-level economics of the regenerative transition (Study 10) and reports the shade-establishment cost for the 10-acre plot at about $1,597 per hectare (Table 26).
Related records: Study 05, conservation planning · Study 06, agroforestry implementation · Study 07, soils · Study 10, Whole Tree economic model.
- Classification
- Collaborative field program
- Research domain
- Tropical Agroforestry
- Research site
- Copper Hill Farm, Las Marías & Maricao, Puerto Rico
Data and figures
What the record supports
The program provides context for testing how conservation practices can fit the economics of a working coffee farm. Separate site baseline work is cataloged in Study 11.