At a Glance
Location: Peru
Impact Areas: Sustainable Income, Employment Formality
People Supported:
Smallholder Farmers, Rural
Joined NESsT Portfolio:
2023
Overview
In the lush northern valleys of Peru’s Amazonas region, coffee cultivation has been a fundamental part of the local way of life for centuries. With exceptionally high altitudes and fertile soils, smallholder farmers in these lofty regions produce some of the country’s finest specialty coffees. However, the remoteness and small sizes of their farms often mean that these rural farmers struggle to access growing markets and secure a stable income. As a result, many live in poverty.
In 2017, Cooperativa Cafetalera Laguna de los Cóndores was born as a vital support network for these rural producers and their families. Today, the cooperative sources coffee from almost 460 smallholder farmers operating in the region, working to alleviate their severe financial strains and ensure coffee producers earn a living income. It pays its cooperative members fair prices and sells their high-quality products to local clients and international businesses throughout Canada, the US, and Europe.
As members of the cooperative, local farmers can focus on improving and scaling their production through long-term sustainable practices, allowing them to cultivate coffee that stands out in a competitive sector. What’s more, by supporting its producers in gaining organic and fair trade certifications, the coffee cooperative can meet the demands of the global market and secure significantly higher prices for its members.
In the agricultural sector, women are far less likely to be landholders than men and are faced with limited resources. To address the gender land gap in Peru, the team is taking concrete steps to improve gender inclusion in the coffee cultivation sector and to promote shared decision-making around land. Currently, around 30% of the cooperative’s staff members are rural women and its women’s committee actively engages in the local community, offering training sessions on women’s empowerment, succeeding in farming, family economics, and health.
Results & Impact
458
smallholder farmers supported
up to 150%
higher earnings for smallholder farmers
30%
of suppliers are women
“Forming an alliance with NESsT has been key to securing the funding necessary for our production campaigns. This partnership allows us to uphold our commitment to international clients while guaranteeing fair prices for local producers that reflect the true cost of sustainable farming and profoundly impact the livelihoods of the coffee-producing families our cooperative supports.”
NESsT Investment
In a region in which coffee cooperatives offering meaningful technical assistance are scarce, Cooperativa Cafetalera Laguna de los Cóndores has had great success in engaging local farmers. The team has identified room to grow in the regions in which it operates, which are home to around 2,300 coffee farmers. NESsT’s revolving investment will support the cooperative to reach and sign contracts with more producers over the next two years, with funding provided on an as-needed basis for working capital needs.
NESsT also plans to work alongside Laguna de los Cóndores to boost the influence and presence of women inside the organization and among the groups it impacts.
