The idea of “sustainability” seems simple, but it can be challenging to achieve systems that are really sustainable. The basic definition of a sustainable system is one that can function for a very long period of time, while providing benefits environmentally, socially, and economically – which means that one must look at the big picture and consider a large number of factors in carrying out any sustainable endeavor.

I traveled with two other students and Professor Gladstone Hutchinson to the remote village of Lagunitas, Honduras, where we worked with members of the community to build a sustainable economy based on coffee production. This village was the site of the first water-system project undertaken by Lafayette’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders, a multidisciplinary student group that works on sustainable projects to meet people’s basic water and sanitation needs. The coffee project’s goal was to build on the foundation of the work already done in Lagunitas by EWB; now that the community had basic water infrastructure, we could help them become more economically viable and take the first steps toward escaping poverty.

We spent many hours with the farmers of Lagunitas, hiking up steep mountains with various tools, and building coffee-tree nurseries in the forest. This labor was literally very fruitful – the community now has 13,000 new coffee plants that will produce beans for years into the future. We also helped the community develop a cooperative framework for development, involving local non-governmental organizations and the community members themselves. The coffee farmers will be working together as part of a collective group formed by the community.

Our goal was to show the community what was possible for them and help them envision themselves down the road not just as growers but as processors, roasters, and sellers of coffee.