Each year, with your help, we raise money from the coffee we source through the Café Femenino Foundation.
This money helps fund urgent projects in partner communities across Guatemala, Peru, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Sumatra. The projects we support help the Café Femenino Foundation to provide resources, education, and support to assist women coffee producers in improving their living conditions, increasing their participation in the coffee industry, and achieving greater gender equality.
We have been supporting the Café Femenino Foundation initiatives since 2009. Previous projects DRWakefield have supported include worm composting in Guatemala, cervical cancer workshops and water projects in Peru, and replacing unhealthy kitchens in Colombia.
After two challenging years through Covid, which prevented the organisation from visiting coffee-producing communities, project work is back at full-throttle, and our 2021 and 2022 premiums are being put to good use in areas of Peru that need support.
Continue reading to learn about the projects we supported in 2022 and will fund in 2023.
2022
Beekeeping in Lambayeque
In the Lambayeque Community of San Isidro, in the district of Lonya Grande in northwest Peru, coffee is the main income-generating product. But the market price volatility makes it difficult for producers when prices are low. This beekeeping project involves purchasing materials to build bee boxes, acquire bees, harvest equipment and deliver workshops on all aspects of beekeeping to supplement income for coffee producers in the region.
Workshops address Bee-Honey Production, Care of Bees, Honey Harvest, Royal Jelly, Pollen, Processing and Packaging of Honey, Uses of Honey in Food, and Packaging and Labels. A successful bee project not only provides a second income, but also improves coffee production by pollinating the coffee flowers on the farms. Pollination contributes to improving the quality of the coffee and other grains grown in the region, helping to strengthen crop health and output. Honey is produced from October to January during coffee flowering time and again from February through September during fruit flowering.
The Lambayeque beekeeping project provides additional income for four families in four communities: Villarumi, San Jose Huanama, Huanama and La Cria. The funds exist as a micro loan and have helped the initial four families set up as beekeepers. The funds will be offered to four more families in a year. Families apply for the funds needed to start their beekeeping business and agree to pay the funds back within two years, meaning the money raised to initiate this project will bear fruit for many years.
Waste Management in Lambayeque
Within the same area of Lambayeque lies the district of Salas and the Community of Tallapampa-Penachi. The Tallapampa-Penachi community lacks waste infrastructure and, therefore, an understanding of the importance of cleanliness and care for their environment, which is impacting overall health and well-being. Since there are no signs or receptacles for the community to use to deposit rubbish, waste is left dropped on the ground. In the area, it is common to find waste on roads and streets, which creates unpleasant and potentially harmful situations for residents, animals and the environment.
The Waste Management project, through workshops and training, aims to educate the community on the importance of maintaining a balance between nature and society, natural resources, and healthy spaces, allowing for the development and improvement of the quality of life for the community.
The project funds have enabled the Tallapampa-Penachi community to purchase recycling bins and signage materials, conduct environmental pollution workshops, and collect and sort waste through local campaigns. This project benefits and involves the whole community, including primary and secondary school students.
2023
Between 7th to 20th March 2023, Cyclone Yaku devastated coastal regions in Ecuador and Northern Peru. The cyclone brought extreme rainfall to the departments of Tumbes, Piura, and Lambayeque, leaving more than 500,000 people needing humanitarian assistance and some without drinking water for over five days.
The effects of climate change are impacting the severity of events like Cyclone Yaku, which is adding to the political challenges being felt by Peru.
This year’s El Niño phenomenon and heavy seasonal rains have caused more extensive damage than in previous cases, such as in 1982, 1983, and 2017. Climate change is significantly impacting coffee communities in Peru, affecting the production of coffee, fruit trees, grains, and vegetables. In addition, extreme weather phenomena like heavy rains, floods, mudslides, droughts, and heat waves worsen the water shortage situation.
In reaction to the urgent appeal for help, DRWakefield’s 2022 contributions, which total $12,359, will be used to assist in rebuilding communities and farms affected by the event.
Coffee Ecosystem Recovery, Lambayeque
The Coffee Ecosystem Recovery project aims to restore the coffee trees and irrigation system that were damaged by Cyclone Yaku. Affected producers in the communities of Santa Rosa Espinal and Machucara, who have been impacted by mudslides, floods, and landslides will receive seeds, coffee seedlings, shade trees, hoses, and pipes to aid in the recovery efforts.
Coffee Ecosystem Recovery
The project’s primary objective is to prevent coffee farmers and young people from migrating to cities due to the loss of investments in their communities. The recovery of their coffee farms and irrigation system will help ensure a steady income for small producers and guarantee the sustainability of the 25 families who will benefit from this grant.
Rainwater Collection and Storage in Amazonas
Historically, coffee producers adjusted their crops to a cycle of six months of rain and six months of drought. However, due to climate change, there are currently only three months of rain and nine months of drought. In situations like this, there is intense rainfall followed by an extended period of water scarcity, meaning water either arrives in an overabundance, which can cause damage and flooding or not at all.
To combat this problem, the Rainwater Collection and Storage project aims to provide 25 rainwater storage tanks for coffee producers in Amazonas. The tanks will allow producers to store water safely and use it for sprinkler irrigation during water scarcity and high crop demand.
With these funds, we hope to help rebuild and strengthen coffee-producing communities in Lambayeque and Amazonas.
To support these initiatives, explore the Café Femenino Foundation’s range of coffees below or learn more about its work here.
