The Coffeelands Trust
Encyclopedia
The Coffeelands Trust is a project which provides direct support to victims of conflict who live and work in coffee communities throughout the world. The Trust seeks to connect the coffee industry and coffee consumers to victims of conflict and provides resources for rehabilitation services and economic development opportunities.
It is a project of the non-profit organization Polus Center for Social & Economic Development, Inc. based in Clinton
, Massachusetts
, United States.
Dean Cycon, owner of Deans Beans, a coffee roasting company located in Central Massachusetts and Michael Lundquist, Executive Director of the Polus Center for Social & Economic Development, Inc. have worked for many years in developing countries to promote social and economic justice for some of the worlds most vulnerable groups. Deans Beans and the Polus Center have partnered in the grassroots development projects that have created economic opportunity for “death train” victims in Tapachula, Mexico, assisted people with disabilities to create small businesses in Nicaragua
, and worked together to address basic nutritional needs and helped to combat social stigma for people with leprosy in Ethiopia
.
In 2005, Dean’s knowledge and experience with coffee farmers and their struggles and Michael’s work with landmine victims allowed them to make the connection between landmines, unexploded ordnances, or UXOs, and coffee. After careful review of the data they determined that landmines and UXOs were present in six of the ten top coffee producing countries in the world and that these deadly devices not only kill and maim coffee farmers and their families, but have a significant negative impact on coffee production and the quality of coffee.
While the Ottawa Treaty
focused the world’s attention on the need to address the landmine issue; the majority of money and resources are directed toward mine removal and mine risk education; very little support is being allocated to direct victim assistance.
The United States and other donor nations have made substantial progress in the areas of landmine removal and mine risk education, but resources for direct victim assistance have been minimal and will likely continue to be. Because of the lack of resources for rehabilitation services many landmine survivors are facing a very uncertain future.
It is a project of the non-profit organization Polus Center for Social & Economic Development, Inc. based in Clinton
Clinton, Massachusetts
Clinton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,606 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Clinton, please see the article Clinton , Massachusetts....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States.
Dean Cycon, owner of Deans Beans, a coffee roasting company located in Central Massachusetts and Michael Lundquist, Executive Director of the Polus Center for Social & Economic Development, Inc. have worked for many years in developing countries to promote social and economic justice for some of the worlds most vulnerable groups. Deans Beans and the Polus Center have partnered in the grassroots development projects that have created economic opportunity for “death train” victims in Tapachula, Mexico, assisted people with disabilities to create small businesses in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, and worked together to address basic nutritional needs and helped to combat social stigma for people with leprosy in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
.
In 2005, Dean’s knowledge and experience with coffee farmers and their struggles and Michael’s work with landmine victims allowed them to make the connection between landmines, unexploded ordnances, or UXOs, and coffee. After careful review of the data they determined that landmines and UXOs were present in six of the ten top coffee producing countries in the world and that these deadly devices not only kill and maim coffee farmers and their families, but have a significant negative impact on coffee production and the quality of coffee.
While the Ottawa Treaty
Ottawa Treaty
The Ottawa Treaty or the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, officially known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, aims at eliminating anti-personnel landmines around the world. , there were 158...
focused the world’s attention on the need to address the landmine issue; the majority of money and resources are directed toward mine removal and mine risk education; very little support is being allocated to direct victim assistance.
The United States and other donor nations have made substantial progress in the areas of landmine removal and mine risk education, but resources for direct victim assistance have been minimal and will likely continue to be. Because of the lack of resources for rehabilitation services many landmine survivors are facing a very uncertain future.