2016, brought with it a very interesting journey for SAFE. First, we learned through our CRS partners that it is possible not only to Harvest water if you take the right measurements, but also friendship, high quality coffee and huge smiles from people that live in coffee harvesting communities from El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. On the other hand, we learned that beyond those magical landscapes in Colombia, lies a peaceful coffee culture built by people who wish to be constructive and bet for a safe future for the region.
Photo: Adam Keough / Blue Harvest
“Laboratory technician Ivan Vásquez takes a water sample to do a laboratory water quality tests at La Berrera, in Concepción de Ataco, Ahuachapán, El Salvador. Members of local water committee are doing water quality tests and capacity test of their water supplies with the support of the Blue Harvest project. Blue Harvest´s goal is sustainable management of water resources in coffeelands in El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Blue Harvest is led by Catholic Relief Services as part CRS’ Water Smart Agriculture initiative in Central America, supported by Keurig Green Mountain, the Inter-American Development Bank’s MIF SAFE Platform, and the Howard G Buffett Foundation.”
Photo: Adam Keough / Blue Harvest
“Portrait of Esperidión Amaya, 70, a small coffee producers that lives in Caserío El Junquillo, Las Quebradas, San Simón municipality, Morazán, El Salvador that recently won first price for the cup quality of his coffee. ”
Photo: Adam Keough / Blue Harvest
“Alfredo Arocha, 60, a member of Cooperative Finca El Salto, in Cantón Las Mesas, Jujutla municipality, Ahuachapan department El Salvador, drinks water from El Balsamo spring, the river that gives water to his community. “Before we had plenty of water. Now we are seeing water is going scarce. We think that with the help we are receiving to reforest this area we are going to succeed,” tells Alfredo. ”
Photo: Adolfo Córdoba
“View from Maria Inés Buitrago’s farm into another small farm in the peaceful region of Antioquia, Colombia. Cooperandes and Grameen Foundation set a project there to support two thousand small producers, with the requirement that they should own at least two hectares of land each. Within the next years, the project expects the farmers’ production, productivity and income to increase. ”
Photo: Adolfo Córdoba
“We were there to witness the signing of this project’s contract between the IADB and Cooperandes within the SAFE Platform. At a land with a permanent harvest season, reaching productivity and improving the farm’s processing system seem to be the two main opportunities of change that the project will aim for. Producers mentioned meaningful efforts they make to renew their coffee plantations, many of which are old and affected by disease or by nutritional deficiencies. Another challenge that was brought up was the need to improve their equipment and coffee processing installations.”
Photo: Adolfo Córdoba
“The image portrays Maria Inés Buitrago’s wet mill. It was interesting to note that most farmers have their own small wet mills, which allow farmers from this region to secure quality and individual, unique processes from the tree to the cup. Many mills of the area looked like this: deteriorated, with great need of investment. The project will address these situations and reach over two thousand small farmer producers from Antioquia, Colombia.”