Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Catholic Relief Services works to catalyse truly transformational change by meeting immediate needs while addressing — in close collaboration with local and international Church, civil society, government, and private sector partners — the complex, multi-dimensional, and systemic nature of poverty, vulnerability, and injustice.

CRS has developed a conceptual framework for their work — the Integral human development model — that places the dignity of the human person at the centre of all that they do. This model is based on the idea that personal well-being can only be achieved in the context of just and peaceful relationships and societies. Catholic Relief Services has been carrying out the commitment of the Catholic Bishops and the Catholic community of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas.

Donors/Partners:

Catholic Relief Services has the Interamerican Development Bank, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Keurig Dr Pepper as donors.

Key activities

Catholic Relief Services’ activities include implementation of the Water Smart Agriculture approach through landscape restoration and water management for increasing productivity and providing quality water services in the rural communities, as well as community institutional strengthening on water governance and management.

Catholic Relief Services is running the Blue Harvest Coffee project to promote high quality coffee as a way to improve farmers’ income, as well as diversification and payment for environmental services as alternative sources of income. The project applies WSA practices and coffee processing techniques to reduce water consumption on coffee milling and improve management of water waste.

Signature projects/tools:

• Water Smart Agriculture
• Blue Harvest Coffee

Priority Countries and corresponding areas of activities:

Guatemala: Labour conditions – Water conservation – Forest conservation & restoration – Technical Assistance – Standards & Certification – Access to inputs

El Salvador: Labour conditions – Water conservation – Forest conservation & restoration – Technical Assistance – Standards & Certification – Access to inputs

Haiti: Labour conditions – Water conservation – Forest conservation & restoration – Technical Assistance – Standards & Certification – Access to inputs

Honduras: Labour conditions – Water conservation – Forest conservation & restoration – Technical Assistance – Standards & Certification – Access to inputs

Mexico: Labour conditions – Water conservation – Forest conservation & restoration – Technical Assistance – Standards & Certification – Access to inputsNicaragua: Labour conditions – Water conservation – Forest conservation & restoration – Technical Assistance – Standards & Certification – Access to inputs