Coffee Crisis In Guatemala

The Republic of Guatemala has an inconsistent supply of clean water. Although 94% of people have access to water, the other 6% are totally deprived of this resource (xxii). In addition, 51% of its people live in poverty (xxii). The National Water Commission holds the authority over the nation’s water and its regulation, as well as sets the National Water Law (xxiii). Since the nation is unequally populated, the supply of water may be insufficient in some areas. Citizens that live in the “dry corridors”, where common droughts cause infertile and dry soil, suffer from malnutrition (xxiv). The Coffee Crisis has also been a big problem to the families; the coffee crop yield dramatically dropped in 2012 and has been declining ever since (xxv). These families have switched from planting coffee beans to bananas which sells for a much lower price (xxv). Because of this, they are unable to afford their children’s education, food or water. Fortunately, the government of Guatemala and the World Food Program offers families food in exchange for their share of work on community projects (xxv). Some areas are also vulnerable to disasters such as hurricanes and floods that can ruin their yearly income in a matter of minutes (xxiv). Due to the nation’s economic crisis, the government has no choice but to reduce foreign investments and take away their citizens’ access to credit as well as lessen the budget for seeds and fertilizers (xxiv). The Government of Guatemala launched the “Mi Comidita”, a food supplement program, in 2014 to focus on eradicating child malnutrition (xxvi). The Government of Canada had donated $2 million to the cause (xxvi). The ‘Guatemalan Maize Alliance Against Hunger” Programme was also launched to reduce malnutrition by ...

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...ch have too much heat and too little water (xxxi). A simple distiller that consists of a steel and glass pot can transform salt water into fresh, drinkable water (xxxii). It is stated that a distiller can create 8-11 liters of water per day (xxxii). Since the first 1,000 day window of the life of a human being is most important in determining their growth, mothers should be given free therapeutic foods prior labor in order to be able to breastfeed their children. With the help of NGOs and local volunteers, accessible toilets should be constructed. There are countless programs that seek to make developing countries more sustainable and healthier; these include Action Against Hunger, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, and The Water Project. The rivers of the nation should be kept as clean as possible and regulated so that toxic waste is not dumped into them.