Safe Drinking Water

Project Description: Coffee growers voted in 2018 to launch the safe drinking water project, investing fair trade community development premiums to install water treatment equipment on rural aqueducts throughout the coffee production region.
Reason for the Project: A needs assessment conducted in 2018 revealed that over 80% of farmers and their families lacked access to safe drinking water, leading to high rates of water-borne illnesses including E. coli, dysentery, and hepatitis A.
Project Outcome: The project aims to bring clean water to more than 7,000 households throughout the region, improving the quality of life and reducing the burden of disease in these coffee-growing communities.