Coffee Bean Sourcing
Guatemala Profile
COOPERATIVE NAHUALA (also known as COCASNAH, Cooperativa Agrícola Cafetalera de Servicios Varios Nahualá, R.L.)
Region/area: Sololá
Village: Pasac, Guatemala
Number of Producers: 183 members, 128 are women
Average farm size: less than 1 hectare
Miller/Exporter name: FECCEG
Average Yearly Exportable Production: 5 containers
FTO Certification: Fairtrade (FLO#917), Organic by BCS OKO-GARANTIE GMBH
History and Typography
Cooperative Nahualá is located in the state of Sololá which is known for its beautiful Lake Atitlan. The members of the co-op are part of Guatemala’s indigenous Mayan population which still proudly uphold many of the traditional cornerstones of the culture such as their clothing and language. The coffee farmers in Pasac speak primarily Quiché (or K’iché) while some understand and speak Spanish as a secondary language. The clothing is often handmade locally, and the various patterns and colors signify the family and community heritage. Located in and around the rural village of Pasac, these farmers live and work on the steep mountainous slopes between 2,000 – 4,000 meters of elevation in one of Central America’s most lively volcanic areas. Many Mayan communities throughout Guatemala suffered unspeakable atrocities during the 1980’s civil unrest and are now dealing with the economic difficulties that have followed ever since. The idea of forming an agricultural cooperative in Pasac developed in the 1960’s by a Priest who saw co-ops as an opportunity to open commercial markets for the farmers in that local area. As an organized entity, the group has worked with different agencies, government bodies, and nonprofits over the years to bring many changes to their area including potable water, a primary school, health center, electricity, telephones, a community center, churches, a co-op hostel for visitors, soccer fields, a community cemetery, and a community library. Nahualá also works to promote gender equality through specific training and overall inclusion of their women members. It established a Café Femenino Program in 2005. In an effort to promote a healthy symbiotic relationship with the natural environment, the cooperative is dedicated to organic production and has been producing certified organic coffee for export for more than 15 years.
Peru
Profile
CECANOR Café Femenino;
Cooperative: AMOJU
Cooperative Mill: PROASSA
Exporter: PROASSA
Screen Size/Grade: 15
Region: Cajamarca and Amazonas, Northern Peru
Farm Address: Jaen, Cajamarca
Average Farm Size: 3 hectares per producer
Group Membership: AMOJU has 288 members
CECANOR cooperative Female producers: 800 women in 6 associations within Cecanor
Total membership: 1,700 members of Cecanor
Female Leadership: 3 Association Presidents and Proassa’s Commercial Manager, 50 women have a leadership positions
History and Typography
Along the slopes of the Andes Mountains in Peru, an area well known for producing high quality coffee, a group of women is challenging the traditional gender roles. While women play important roles in coffee production in Peru, men traditionally hold the economic power, owning the means of production, receiving payment for the coffee, and representing their families in coffee cooperatives. In 2003, with determination and desire for a better future, 464 female coffee producers in Peru united to take a step toward empowerment. They decided to separate their coffee production to create lots cultivated and harvested by women, seeking visibility and a voice inside their community. Working in partnership with OPTCO, they developed a market for this brand of coffee that would be an important vehicle for social change and the empowerment of poor, marginalized women coffee farmers. Working together, the Café Femenino Coffee Program was formalized in 2004 and has grown internationally. Requirements set in place for the Café Femenino Program work to break-down cultural barriers that have prevented women from participating in the coffee economy. These requirements give the women control of revenues, land ownership, and acknowledgement for their exceptional coffee. The Cafe Femenino Program has provided a necessary structure for the women’s association to access resources to fund projects in education, health, capacity building in self-esteem, human rights awareness, and literacy. Visible impacts have been made in self-esteem, leadership and participation, education and nutrition levels for children, household infrastructure, and overall respect for women farmers. Women are recognized for the first time as being income providers, coffee producers, and leaders.