Farmers Generate Energy from Coffee Wastewater
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Academic
According to Project Findings by UTZ Certified,Tackling Climate Changeand Protecting Water Resources by Treating Discharges fromCoffeeIs Possible
The project started in 2010 with the goal of addressing environmental and health problems caused by the wastewater produced in the coffee industry.
Tailor-made coffee wastewater treatment systems and solid-waste treatment mechanisms were installed in eight coffee farms in Nicaragua, ten in Honduras and one in Guatemala. The positive environmental and economic impact of the project on over 5,000 people in the region has inspired UTZ Certified to replicate the initiative in other countries.
The Energy from Coffee Wastewater project has been implemented in a range of differently sized farms. The achieved results of the project range from preventing local deforestation of native trees to better indoor environments for families who replaced firewood with domestic gas stoves for cooking. Additional outcomes included:
- Treatment of essentially all water used in coffee processing
- Over 50% less water used during coffee processing
- Generation of significant amount of biogas used to power households and coffee mills
- Prevention of the release of greenhouse-gas emissions into the atmosphere
UTZ Certified is currently introducing the technology in Peru and Brazil. UTZ hopes to get further funds and industry's support to replicate the initiative in Africa and Asia.
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