LITTLE ROCK – Heifer International is proud to announce that Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., has extended its long-standing relationship with the global hunger nonprofit by committing $1.6 million in funding for two new projects in Peru and Honduras.
These projects will reach about 2,200 families in Peru and Honduras who currently struggle to feed themselves adequately year round.
The four-year pledge represents a continuation of a partnership that has helped coffee-growing families in Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru to achieve healthy, sustainable livelihoods despite extreme seasonal changes.
By diversifying the products cultivated on their farms, families are better able to make it through “the thin months” of scarcity in between yearly coffee harvests.
“The new projects will serve as shining examples of what is possible when the nonprofit sector and private sector work hand-in-hand to create sustainable paths out of poverty for populations who would otherwise be left behind,” said Marleen New, director of global partnerships and alliances for Heifer. “
The projects, with the support of GMCR, will bring new hope and better standards of living to these communities.”
“We have worked with Heifer International for years because of their knowledge of the communities where we work, and their proven ability to address issues at the household level,” said Rick Peyser, GMCR’s director of social advocacy and supply chain community outreach.
“Heifer International has an effective, replicable model that improves food security and nutrition while encouraging collaboration and ownership among members of the community.”
The project Vida Café will work with families who grow organic coffee in western Honduras, improving their diets, giving them greater food security even between harvests, and increasing their income.
Heifer International will work with local partner organizations to provide technical and business training and will provide livestock like cows, chickens, goats and beehives, as well as vegetable and fruit tree seedlings
Trainers will also work with families to improve food preparation and hygiene practices, and the project will provide assets like 225 eco-friendly stoves.
Café Selva, the new project in central Peru, will help 1,000 families in the Pichanaki jungle to improve their nutrition and homes, and empower women within the communities.
The project will provide guinea pigs, poultry, veterinary kits, backyard gardens, sanitation assets like water tanks, and training to participants. It will also work to increase women’s opportunities for participation and leadership in local organizations.
About Heifer International Heifer International’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Since 1944, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income.
Heifer is currently working in more than 40 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant.
For more information, visit www.heifer.org , read our blog, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or call (800) 696-1918.
