COFFEE THAT HELPS FARMERS, THEIR COMMUNITIES & THE ENVIRONMENT.
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Latest news
Ethiopia -
Drinking water for 5,500 in Hama Kebele
It's not just Fairtrade certified farmers in the Oromia Cooperative Union who are benefiting from investment in the area. A new drinking water distribution system has been installed in Hama Kebele, meaning that over 5,500 people who previously didn't have access to clean drinking water now have - and a decrease in intestinal health problems has been noted.
Back to school with new backpacks
Backpacks have been given out to some schoolchildren in the area through the 'Estudiando Con Proexcafe' programme. The backpacks each have educational activity packs and paper and pens inside to encourage the children in their learning, and some schools have also received computers, too.
El Salvador -
Medical facilities and housing for the Cooperatives
A new clinic and training centre for farmers has been built - helping improve the day-to-day lives of the whole community.
Financial security during the off-season
The coffee off-season is traditionally a difficult time for the villagers - but the 4,000 farmers who are working towards achieving Fairtrade status in the Hama Kebele area have received a second payment from NESCAFÉ for beans used in our other blends, which will make a real difference to their quality of life.
MORE INFORMATION
There are many countries across the developing world that are so dependent upon the export of coffee, that any slump in the market affects not only the farmers but the community and its infrastructure as well. Because the very nature of the coffee market is cyclical, when prices fall these communities simply cannot cope - affecting everything from working conditions to health care, communications to education and employment levels.
The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI-Platform), which was co-founded by Nestlé, is starting to help tackle this problem - by contributing to supply coffee farmers across the developing world with the information, equipment and help they need to both make more money from their coffee, and also to branch out into other agricultural sectors. These additional sources of income are important because they reduce the community's reliance on coffee, meaning they are less affected by fluctuations in the coffee market.
Nestlé follow a similar approach in Ethiopia and El Salvador. For example, in Ethiopian communities such as Hama, 95% of the people did not have clean drinking water, so we concentrated our initial efforts on the installation of facilities for drinking water distribution. We are pleased to announce that this project is now complete, and the community has a supply of clean drinking water.
Likewise, in El Salvador, four new houses were built for permanent and temporary cooperatives' workers and their families, as well as a clinic and training centre for cooperatives' members and workers, and school materials were provided for 700 children.
By supporting Fairtrade certification of four small co-operatives in El Salvador, Nestlé not only pays at the Fairtrade-approved rate, but also adds a social premium for every pound of coffee. Farmers decide democratically how this additional money will be spent, and this strengthens their own organisations, as well as enabling them to invest in social projects to benefit the whole community.
Nestlé follow a similar approach in Ethiopia and El Salvador. For example, in Ethiopian communities such as Hama, 95% of the people did not have clean drinking water, so we concentrated our initial efforts on the installation of facilities for drinking water distribution. We are pleased to announce that this project is now complete, and the community has a supply of clean drinking water.
Likewise, in El Salvador, four new houses were built for permanent and temporary cooperatives' workers and their families, as well as a clinic and training centre for cooperatives' members and workers, and school materials were provided for 700 children.
By supporting Fairtrade certification of four small co-operatives in El Salvador, Nestlé not only pays at the Fairtrade-approved rate, but also adds a social premium for every pound of coffee. Farmers decide democratically how this additional money will be spent, and this strengthens their own organisations, as well as enabling them to invest in social projects to benefit the whole community.
Sustainable initiatives in other countries include providing assistance to build classrooms to accommodate 120 farmers' children by Nestlé Mexico, and in Guatemala we have constructed two modern classrooms as well as improving the school's water supply.
As part of Nestlé Agricultural Services we have also established Coffee Experimental and Demonstration Farms in China, Thailand and the Philippines. These practical centres of sustainable farming offer farmers, coffee experts and students from Agricultural Institutes access to a variety of training activities and exchange of knowledge between local farmers and trained agronomists.
In the field, these same agronomists regularly arrange visits to farms, providing on-site training as well as technical assistance. And, in the case of the more remote farms of southern Thailand, three radio stations broadcast regular Nestlé Coffee Bulletins to pass on expert knowledge to the farmers.
As part of Nestlé Agricultural Services we have also established Coffee Experimental and Demonstration Farms in China, Thailand and the Philippines. These practical centres of sustainable farming offer farmers, coffee experts and students from Agricultural Institutes access to a variety of training activities and exchange of knowledge between local farmers and trained agronomists.
In the field, these same agronomists regularly arrange visits to farms, providing on-site training as well as technical assistance. And, in the case of the more remote farms of southern Thailand, three radio stations broadcast regular Nestlé Coffee Bulletins to pass on expert knowledge to the farmers.
"Nestlé Mexico has also provided assistance to build classrooms to accommodate 120 farmers' children, and also provides food donations."
Our concentration on education not only sows the seeds for a sustainable future, it also means that farmers are quickly becoming much better able to grow better quality coffee, and they know what it is worth - putting them in a better bargaining position when selling their produce.
In all of these communities, we respect and adhere to the ten ethical principles of The Global Compact, the United Nation's international network of corporations committed to responsible business practices.
In all of these communities, we respect and adhere to the ten ethical principles of The Global Compact, the United Nation's international network of corporations committed to responsible business practices.
"Helping communities work towards becoming fully self-sufficient"
