SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION: Farmers in Nicaragua learn how to increase the quality of their crops and eliminate practices that harm the environment.

In communities along the border of the Bosawas National Park in Nicaragua, Nestle and ECOM Atlantic, an international supply chain management organization, are working with 175 small- and medium-sized coffee producers to enhance sustainable coffee production. The primary goal of the project is to support and document best practices in sustainable coffee growing, and to identify the technical assistance and education that farmers need to address key environmental issues. By adopting improved processing practices, farmers in northern Nicaragua can increase the quality of their crops while reducing production costs and eliminating practices that can damage the environment.

Producers have attended training seminars on farm administration, accounting, farm business plans and budgeting, crop diversification and crop certification. Crop diversification includes a forestry programme to restore the natural environment and protect water sources.