Social Initiatives

Grounds for Health

Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Co. is proud to support Grounds for Health (GFH), an international nonprofit organization that works with coffee-growing communities to provide life-saving women's health care services. GFH's primary focus is on the early detection and treatment of cervical cancer, the leading cause of cancer death among women in developing countries.

Grounds for Health Cervical cancer is one of the easiest cancers to treat and, when detected early, is almost 100% curable. In many countries outside North America, women do not have access to regular screening or treatment. Grounds for Health partners with coffee cooperatives (co-ops), Ministries of Health and local officials, and medical providers to develop effective, sustainable, cervical cancer prevention services in coffee-growing communities.

Grounds for Health's model is built on 3 key components.

1.

The program is community-initiated and owned. This means that coffee co-ops invite GFH to work with them, investing their own time and resources to ensure the project's success. GFH provides training for community health promoters in community education and outreach, and coffee co-ops provide transportation to their members. The result? All women who work in coffee – and who may live several hours away from medical facilities – have access to Grounds for Health's amazing single-day screening and treatment program.

2.

Beyond their direct services to women at origin, GFH also builds long-term, sustainable health care programs through training. GFH's intensive one-on-one training relies on the organization's teams of highly trained medical volunteers, who work shoulder to shoulder with local medical providers, who then gain the skills they need to continue to provide services -- long after Grounds for Health's campaigns end.

3.

GFH donates the medical equipment to communities, making it possible to bring these crucial tools for early detection and treatment close to home, and removing the biggest barrier to access faced by women living in remote, rural areas.

In each weeklong campaign, GFH screens hundreds of women for cervical cancer, providing immediate treatment for women with early "pre-cancers." To date, Grounds for Health has provided screening for more than 16,000 women in Mexico and Nicaragua. Grounds for Health will begin working in Tanzania, in partnership with the Kanyovu Co-operatives and the Jane Goodall Institute.

Through our direct relationship with Grounds for Health, we know that investing in solutions for cervical cancer can end its reign as the number-one cause of cancer deaths in women in poor countries, and will have a direct and positive impact on the health, empowerment and dignity of women in coffee-growing communities.

At Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Co., we believe in giving back to the people who grow our coffee by supporting a cause that is both relevant and valued by our customers and employees. This is why we are proud to provide major corporate support for Grounds for Health. Our employees also put their own individual efforts into supporting Grounds for Health's vital work through their own individual gifts, as well as through annual employee fundraising activities. We all believe that by supporting better health for women at the heart of coffee, we're also helping their children, families and entire communities.

Environmental Initiatives

Swiss Water's environmental program is defined by the 5 R's:

  • Reduce the amount of waste we produce.
  • Recycle instead of throwing items away.
  • Reuse items like burlap bags and paper.
  • Be Responsible for our actions.
  • Respect the environment and all living things.

Company-Wide Recycling

Recycle We re-bag most of our outgoing decaf coffee into the original bags, reducing our need to use additional packaging. In instances where the original bags are not suitable for reuse, we recycle them to be manufactured into other packaging. In addition, all employees are actively involved in our company-wide recycling program, which encompasses paper, plastics, cardboard, metals, and glass.

Composting

All dust or chaff that is removed from the beans as a result of our pre and post cleaning process is directed to a local compost facility.

Printed Materials

Where possible, our printed materials and brochures make use of the most environmentally friendly stock available. We often use 100% recyclable, chlorine free paper that is partly composed of post-consumer waste.