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Héctor, 23, and his wife, Jeidy Marilu, have one child. Héctor has been a farmer for 8 years and coffee has become his major crop and main source of income. Héctor hopes to give his children good educations so that they can have opportunities that he himself never had.
Growing coffee according to certification guidelines is new here. The certifications give added value to coffee and make marketing and selling coffee easier when they show a commitment to environmentally-sound practices. "The best that we can do for our children is give them good educations and leave them a healthy planet", says Héctor. He wants, consequently, to switch to organic farming and is applying for a loan that he will use to convert 0.75 hectares of exhausted land to organic coffee production. The commitment will require that he replant the land. The investment will both reclaim old land and ensure that he gets a higher price for his future crop. The extra earnings, in turn, will allow Héctor to save for his children's educations.
Héctor will pay for labor, organic coffee plants and other supplies for converting land to organic farming.
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer Jere Wiseman. View original language description.
