UTZ Certified must be pleased as punch to hear that their Energy from Coffee Wastewater project happens to be a success, as it is capable of generating energy at the same time go up against the issue of climate change and protect water resources as it treats discharges from coffee mills. The Energy from Coffee Wastewater project kicked off four years ago, where the main goal was to address the environmental and health problems that were the result of wastewater produced in the coffee industry.
Tailor-made coffee wastewater treatment systems and solid-waste treatment mechanisms happened to be installed across eight coffee farms in Nicaragua, while there were ten in Honduras and a solitary installation in Guatemala. Over the years, there were positive environmental and economic impacts that affected more than 5,000 people in the region, which has led to a replication of the Energy from Coffee Wastewater initiative elsewhere.
Latin America happens to be the producer of approximately 70% of the world’s coffee, and this continent has 31% of the world’s freshwater resources. However, coffee production results in a great amount of wastewater which is normally released without any treatment into rivers, negatively affecting aquatic fauna and flora. There is also the matter of organic waste and high toxicity that will adversely impact the soil while generating considerable amounts of greenhouse-gas emissions, such as methane, that adds to the shifts in climate. This project managed to see the prevention of local deforestation of native trees, the use of 50% less water during coffee processing, using biogas to power households and coffee mills, as well as preventing the release of greenhouse-gas emissions into the atmosphere. Something to think about during my next cuppa! [Press Release]
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