Seeing it Firsthand: Board Visits Oaxaca
Coffee Kids Board President and President and CEO of InterAmerican Coffee, Guy Burdett, recently traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, to visit one of Coffee Kids’ partners and learn more about our efforts. He shares a bit of his visit below.
In July of 2009, I joined the board of Coffee Kids. Last week, I traveled with Bill Mares, another Coffee Kids board member and Carolyn Fairman, executive director at Coffee Kids to Oaxaca, Mexico, to visit a couple of communities where Coffee Kids has projects.
On our first stop, we met Coffee Kids’ local partner CAMPO. Their programs focus on sustainable agriculture, ecology and food security. At CAMPO’s offices we learned about some of their projects, including: composting, greenhouses, construction using compacted earth, solar energy and chicken-raising, among other things. We then traveled with CAMPO to a couple of the communities to see the projects in action.
These projects give families options for additional sources of income so that the communities are not as dependent on income from coffee. Also, some of these programs provide additional food sources to support a healthier lifestyle.
This trip was very enlightening for me. I saw firsthand the struggles that smallholder coffee farmers face everyday. I have a new appreciation and understanding of the challenges these communities confront. The challenges are many, but with the help of organizations like Coffee Kids, they can be addressed and overcome.