Some growers also argued that fungus and beetles are reduced in the full sun. Sun-tolerant coffee varieties are becoming more widespread today, as coffee consumption increases around the world and big coffee producers take over more and more of the production areas. Sun-tolerant coffee plants are more expensive to grow than traditional varieties because they require a steady diet of agricultural chemicals. With no leaf litter to enrich the soil, fertilizer must be applied to maintain yields. With full sun exposure, weeds invade the fields, and herbicides become necessary.
Fungicides also remain important despite the sun exposure.
These chemicals are expensive, so that it is mostly the larger, better-financed coffee companies that use them. Competition with highly-capitalized producers is driving smaller coffee farmers to copy the new methods or give up farming. Organic coffee is also shade tolerant. Shade tolerant coffee is often available already at organic food stores. Sometimes it costs slightly more than sun-tolerant varieties sold by larger producers, but the cost difference is often modest.