Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera y de Servicios Oro Verde (CAC Oro

Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera y de Servicios Oro Verde (CAC Oro

Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera y de
Servicios Oro Verde (CAC Oro Verde)
Coffee and cocoa
Peru
FLO ID 1664
Fairtrade certified since 2002
Number of members 1,220
©Google maps
Introduction
The Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera y de Servicios Oro Verde or CAC Oro
Verde is a 1st grade Fairtrade organization founded in 1999 in the region of San
Martín, northern Peru. It is an isolated farming zone where many people live on
subsistence crops like corn and rice, and face poverty.
Oro Verde’s families were part of a transformational United Nations initiative
which supported farmers to grow varied crops and replace coca production.
Today, they are organized into 53 base committees and produce Fairtrade and
organic coffee and cocoa for export. They have a tourist centre and coffee bar
(or un cafetín) where they do aromatic coffee tasting. They also manufacture
ground coffee, honey, sugar and chocolate for the national market.
They promote the participation of all members of the community by embracing
equality, education and democracy. Together, they have been able to take
advantage of market opportunities, gaining better prices for their products, and
achieving better wellbeing of members and their families. Through strong
management, membership and communication, the cooperative has grown to
become a socially and economically sustainable organization.
Oro Verde members sorting coffee ©Fairtrade
International
Coffee growing and processing
Most of Oro Verde’s producers do not employ people on their farms but practise
traditional communal work called ‘Choba Choba’ with their neighbours. They
live in highland forests perfect for coffee production.
Producers harvest, pulp and wash their coffee at their local beneficio humedo.
The coffee is then delivered to local or regional warehouses where it is
analysed for quality. The coffee is processed to ‘baba’ or green beans. It is then
transported to processing plant owned by CEPICAFE, another local
cooperative, where Oro Verde rents a space. The coffee is prepared for export
and taken to Paita or El Callao port for shipping.
FAIRTRADE.NET
Altitude Over 1,200m
Smallholders 8.4 hectares on average
Total area of production 3,748 ha
Growing practices Shade grown,
almost 50% organic, the rest in
transition
Coffee variety Arabica: typical,
bourbon, caturra
Coffee quality High acidity, fine aroma,
good body, fruity and floral notes. 80+
cup score.
Harvest March – November
Other certifications Biolatina (organic),
RFA, UTZ, CLAC Small Producer label
PRODUCER PROFILE
Benefits of Fairtrade
Oro Verde hold two General Assemblies each year where one delegate for
every 10 members attend to make decisions about how to invest the Fairtrade
Premium.
Quality and productivity
The Fairtrade Premium has been invested in technical assistance for each and
every farmer. Improved farming techniques have supported farmers to increase
productivity who have received higher incomes as a result.
Health
Oro Verde have used Fairtrade Premium funds to run roaming clinics in hard to
reach communities. The fund pays for doctors to visit isolated areas and give
advice and medication. This service is free for members and their families.
Oro Verde’s processing plant when coffee
becomes ‘baba’ or green beans ©Fairtrade
International
Economic: Food security
Oro Verde has used the Fairtrade Premium to support farmers to diversify their
crops and set up vegetable plots for household consumption. This helps to
protect families during los meses flacos or lean months when there is no
income from coffee.
Cooperative structure: improving business, marketing and organic knowledge
Oro Verde have invested Fairtrade Premium in a collaborative project with
AGRITERRA. They supported Oro Verde to improve their business structure
and knowledge. They helped Oro Verde to form a robust business plan, install
new software and develop their brand.
Oro Verde’s development strategy:
• Strengthen the training of families so they remain the core identity of the
cooperative. Train promoter farmers to promote cooperative values and
principles. Diversify the social services provided by the cooperative and
expand to more members of the community.
• Involve local and national governments in their activities, and form strategic
alliances with local NGOs to expand their reach.
• Implement a permanent technical assistance and quality control program to
ensure their product continues to align with certification standards.
• Form a relationship between agriculture and ecotourism.
• Strengthen all coffee processing centres with trained specialists so they can
ensure every grain of coffee meets the quality standards of buyers. Expand
their speciality exports to meet the needs of key business partners.
Email: [email protected]
Oro Verde coffee producer working under the
canopy of this shade-grown coffee ©Fairtrade
International
Sustainability The Fairtrade Premium
also funded a project with
AGRITERRA to support farmers by
rolling out training in organic fertilizers
and soil analysis, and renovation of
plots affected by ‘la roya’ or leaf rust
disease. There’s more information on
the collaborative project with
AGRITERRA here (in Spanish):
www.agriterra.org/es/project/index/25071
‘If prices are low, it is difficult for my
family to survive. A fair price helps
us to maintain the farm. With a fair
price, we can afford to eat chickens
and raise more chickens in the
house, in order to make my kids
healthy and strong.’
Pastor Sangama Guerra, Member of Oro Verde.
Website: www.oroverde.com.pe
Videos by Oro Verde [link]
FAIRTRADE.NET
PRODUCER PROFILE