Strengthening Families in Peru by Improving Coffee Yields

Small holder coffee farmers who have migrated to the steep slopes of the northeastern Amazon in Peru commonly faced a repeating poverty cycle. Their perennially low yields and incomes prevent adequate reinvestment in their crops. Over time this situation has lead to extreme poverty and family instability. Soil nutrient depletion is a main factor limiting yields. Very little fertilizer is used, biomass production is low, and the risk of soil erosion is high. Eventually families move on in search of new land to start the cycle again.