Sustainably facing coffee rust threat in Mexico.

Since last November when we started the fundraising campaign we have achieved $1,094.00 to date.

With part of these funds we have given impulse to the community meliponiculture cluster, acquiring six more hives of native bees (Scaptotrigona Mexicana) for a total of 27 hives delivered into custody to equal number of families. Our strategy is to combine individual production with the collective stingless native bees management training by participating within the Agroecological Meliponiculture Network (REMA) which gathers more than 10 beekeeping houses in Veracruz and Puebla.

Communitary meliponiculture cluster seeks to incorporate stingless bees management into communitary dynamics thus influencing ecological balance by providing ecosystem pollination services while helping to strengthen population health by making accessible products derived from bees such as virgin honey, pollen and propolis.

Another cluster that has been favored by donations received is the production of organic fertilizers derived from earthworms (Eisenia andrei). This cluster strengthens the agro-ecological capacities of participants replacing the use of agro-chemicals with liquid and solid fertilizers for coffee farms. As many participants have mentioned "Uses of vermicompost, as well as Bokashi fertilizer have proven themselves not only nurturing the plant, but controlling the infestation of rust thus producing more coffee with less money". So far we have established more than 30 vermicompost modules which will increase by 50% with recent donations.

We want to thank all our donors for the trust shown to date and reiterate our invitation to continue collaborating with us in order to preserve the shaded coffee plantations which are endangered by the rust disease and to which we remain committed as it is an important reservoir of life on our planet.