Project Detail

Institutionalization of Coffee Grower CBOs to address land and water degradation in the Western Ghats

Project goal- To address issues of land and water degradation by promoting innovative technological solutions through local Coffee grower CBOs (self help groups - SHGs)
Project objectives-
Primary objective: Develop capacities of coffee growers? CBOs in the Western Ghats to adopt and utilize technological solutions and group-based environmental certifications to address land-water degradation
Specific objectives:
? Demonstrate the application of suitable technology packages to eliminate / reduce the environmental impacts of Coffee wastes from pulping activities
? Create awareness among Coffee producers (growers) regarding environmental conservation and the role of biodiversity in the Western Ghats ecosystem and the mechanisms of environmental certification
? Design organizational mechanisms in CBOs to sustainable benefit from use of the technology packages and environmental certifications
? Monitor project impact, develop networks and, share project findings and learning?s among stakeholders to enable replication
Project activities- ? Identification of Coffee grower CBOs that would be supported to install and utilize the selected technology packages.
? Undertake assessment of the technology/equipment specifications such as capacity, size of lagoon that would be applicable to the identified groups.
? Short listing and finalizing technology providers (eco-pulpers, pulp/husk treatment systems, lagoon lining) to supply the defined equipment/materials and
? Provide use-cum-maintenance support.
? Development of suitable organizational systems (management structure, decision making, revenues and expenditure, performance monitoring, documentation, information sharing etc) to install and utilize the improved technology package.
? Installation of the identified equipment and demonstrating the feasibility of use
? Monitoring the performance of the installed technology packages and the impact
Expected Results:
? A demonstrated model for public sector ? Private sector CBO partnership to reduce land water degradation and promote environmental conservation in the coffee sector in the Western Ghats.
? Coffee CBOs in the Western Ghats are aware of the feasibility and beneficial impacts of use of improved technological package to address land and water degradation issues.
? At least four CBOs participated in preliminary process of adopting and utilizing improved technology package that reduce the potential environmental impacts of coffee wastes.
? At least 10 coffee CBOs participated in preliminary audits for environmental certification. CBOs are better aware of the role of environmental conservation and biodiversity in the Western Ghats.
? A policy framework for demonstrated technology and institutional package to reduce coffee-based livelihoods related land and water degradation in the Western Ghats is outlined.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Indian Institute of Plantation Management

Country:

India

Area Of Work:

Climate Change Mitigation

Operational Phase:

OP5-Y3 (Jul 13 - Jun 14)

Grant Amount:

US$ 38,025.06

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 70,285.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 47,012.00

Project Number:

IND/SGP/OP5/Y3/CC/STAR/ 2014/47/KAR07

Start Date:

6/2014

End Date:

12/2015

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Capacity - Building Component

Awareness will be created among coffee producers (growers) regarding environmental conservation and the role of biodiversity in the Western Ghats ecosystem and the mechanism of environmental certifications. Technical experts will develop capacities of the CBOs to plan, implement and monitor programs for environmental conservation through the use of sustainable technology packages. Demonstration will be done regarding feasibility of using environment- friendly coffee pulpers (ecological pulpers or eco pulpers) by small coffee grower?s CBOs that were established with the support of Coffee Board of India.

Policy Impact

Liaison with policy makers and regulatory agencies to share project findings and formulate a policy framework that promotes public-private-CBO partnership to address land-water degradation due to activities of the coffee sector in the Western Ghats. Linkage for sale of husk to briquette manufacturers can be strengthened due to the centralized nature of processing by using eco-pulpers. The project will be considered for replication in other states.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Meetings and workshops with growers and other stakeholders will be conducted in order to share findings and experience. The project would form sub-committees of the CBOs to monitor the performance of technological infrastructure that would be installed due to project activities.

Notable Community Participation

N.A.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

The beneficiaries are not indigenous community.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The project aims to address issues of land and water degradation by promoting innovative technological solutions through local coffee grower CBOs (self help group-SHGs). The project demonstrates positive impacts of innovative technologies in addressing land and water degradation in the Western Ghats. 4 CBOs will be selected to demonstrate the environment benefits and individual benefits from using eco- pulpers. Utilization of coffee pulp residue will be enhanced that is generated during the pulping process. Demonstration model for public sector- private sector- CBO partnership to reduce land-water degradation and promote environmental conservation in the coffee sector in the Western Ghats.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The project shall develop various materials such as brochures, technical folders and booklets which would be used to disseminate information at different levels. Mass media such as local television channel and newspapers will be used for communicating.

Gender Focus

Women members of grower?s families will be involved in the activities of the group. They will also be involved in sub- committees which would be set up to manage various components of project intervention. The project would work with Coffee CBOs with SHGs being the primary beneficiaries. 17% of the members of the Coffee CBOs are women. Sensitize CBO members to interrelationships between the coffee production/ processing system and the local ecosystem and the benefits from environment certifications. About 90 coffee growers CBOs are currently active (31 SHGs involved in pulping and the rest in Coffee marketing and sharing of estate machinery) in the proposed district of project implementation. These SHGs have about 2000 members who hail from about 150 villages where coffee is produced-processed.

Project Results

? Four CBOs have been supported to develop organizational mechanisms to utilize the ecological pulping units. Documentation systems have been developed and the group representatives have been trained in the use of pre-defined formats. As part of the eco-certifications, documentation relating to farming systems and practices were developed. Each farm was visited and the farmers were trained in sustainable coffee production practices.
? 550 hectares of land applying sustainable forest, agricultural and water management practices.
? Three new R&G coffee blends were developed and test-marketed by utilizing the brand of the Consortium. A website for the consortium was also developed. It is expected that the consortium would, by December 2016, launch its own brand of certified coffee which would be the first certified R&G coffee product in India. All mandatory approvals (incl. FSSAI registration) have been obtained. The coffee produced by five grower members has also been analyzed for their cup profile at one of the leading coffee laboratories in the country by a globally renowned coffee quality expert.
? Four awareness programmes have been organized in partnership with local stakeholder organization to sensitize them with the various dimensions of environmental conservation, biodiversity and environmental conservation.
? The ecological pulping units that have been installed are now being used by the groups to pulp the coffee fruits produced by the CBO members and non-members. The package for utilization of coffee wastes was demonstrated in the field in April 2016 (as coffee wastes are available after the completion of pulping which ends in March every year). The performance of the ecological pulping units vis-a-vis conventional units were monitored:
For processing 1 tonne coffee, 7000 litres of water was being used. With the Eco-Pulpher, only 400 litres of water is used. Hence, each pulper of 3-4 tonnes capacity saves the following amount of water:
Total Coffee time (roughly 70 days) and 2 tonnes of coffee is processed per day:
70 days x 4 tonnes x 3 Pulpers x 7,000 litres = 58,80,000 litres were consumed
70 days x 4 tonnes x 3 Pulpers x 400 litres = 3,36,000 litres used now
Water saving = 55,44,000 litres
1 cu.ft of land takes 25 litres of water, thus a total of 2,21,760 cu.ft of land is saved from degradation.
? Each coffee bean has 60% flesh and 40% bean-content. The residue which is in a slush form, with fowl stench is diverted to Vermi compost pits. Two farmers in this project have put up 18 vermi compost pits.

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