Reducing water consumption for coffee harvests

As part of our effort to reduce water usage and become resource positive, we are collaborating with Starbucks, to rethink and discover innovative ways to manage water.

Our Colombia Coffee Resource Positive project, which began in 2021, was completed at the end of 2023. Part of our solution to end wasteful water usage during coffee harvesting was to implement water-efficient wet mills in 121 households in Huila, Valle del Cauca and Santander. This enabled us to reduce water consumption by 77% for the coffee-washing process at farm level.

In traditional wet processing, the wet mill is where coffee is pulped (the skin removed), floated in water to remove defective beans, fermented, washed and dried. Water-efficient wet mills have zero waste water consumption, using mechanical processes that require little water. This method has helped farmers reduce their water consumption, enabling them to operate at a higher sustainability standard in line with ECOM’s pledge to optimise natural resource management.

In Honduras, we have a similar project, CERECEM 2.0, also with Starbucks, which operates in the mountains, where the best coffee in the country is cultivated due to the microclimate. The main objectives for 2023 were the construction of two wet and dry mill centres, the construction of which is ongoing.