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CC's follow-up visit to El Salvador and Nicaragua
In a whirlwind trip to Central America, CoopCoffees Producer Relations Manager Monika Firl returned to meet with ACOES - our newest producer partner in Tacuba, El Salvador; attended the CLAC "Coffee Network" meeting in Managua, Nicaragua; and was able to visit with our producer partners CECOCAFEN and CECOSEMAC. While in Matagalpa, she was also able to visit the inspirational work of organic farmer Byron Corrales.
ACOES - Nine Months and a World of Difference Later
Sometimes the stars just line up and things fall into place. That is rare in the coffee world - but that is precisely what happened for this new relationship between Cooperative Coffees and ACOES in El Salvador. 
At the recommendation of colleagues working in Agroecology in the USA and abroad, we added a stop-over in El Salvador during our Central American travels in January 2008. Our intention was really just to support our friends working with ACOES - as they explored getting into the international market and to discuss with them specific requirements for Fair Trade. Little did we imagine that the experience would be so positive: that the coop objectives would be so in keeping with CoopCoffees values; that the communication would be so easy; and that the quality would be so appropriate for what our roaster members look for in Salvadoran coffee!
Within a month of talking and testing, we had a contract signed and a first half-container (the coop's full organic production this year) heading towards our warehouse in New York. As first contracts go - this was no exception for unexpected rocks in the road and the steep learning curves for everyone involved. All along the way, the producers, the processors, the exporters and we, the buyers were coaxing this coffee along, then holding our breath until the coffee had been received, paid for and cupped for final quality control. And finally... when results were not only positive, but exceptional - we all let out a huge, collective sigh of relief !
Now some nine months later, the atmosphere in ACOES has noticeably and dramatically changed.
"Any doubts that producers may have had, have died," explained Rogelio Suriano, current President of the Producer Board of Directors. "This is the first positive sale we have seen for our coffee in years... and not only did the members of our coop benefit - but the entire community. Members had income to take care of their family needs, to hire labor during the harvest and also to purchase needed supplies." 
ACOES members were proud to present their new office building under construction - paid for with their social premium - which will also serve as a meeting space and clinic with the regional health promoter passes through their town.
Suddenly, ACOES members are excited about improving their land, renewing the plantations, investing in infrastructure and promoting growth of membership in their cooperative. And we are eagerly preparing for the next years' contracts.
Organic Systems Work on Byron Corrales' Farm
Byron Corrales is a coffee farmer, a teacher and an inventor. Touring different sectors within his larger 20 ha family property... it is obvious that organic production is a constant experiment that plays out on his land.
On one edge of his plot – a large chunk of land is dedicated to total diversification, with more than 50 different kinds of plants interspersed amongst coffee varietals. “This corner of my land always has something in flower, something bearing fruit, and something new ready to sprout,” Byron explains. “I call it Nunca con Hambre [Never Hungry].”
Between the nitrogen-fixing groundcover and the carefully placed shade trees, basic grains like corn and beans, fruit trees including citrus, banana, mango and perhaps the only apple trees in all of Nicaragua, a vast range of local species of edible greens and medicinal plants, berry bushes to the delight of a host of local birds, forage crops for his 20 head of cattle and, yes of course, copious amounts of coffee – there is truly something for everyone.
Other sectors of his land hold more traditional coffee and shade combinations – with nitrogen-fixing Inga species or more controlled experiments with multiple-crop shade trees amongst the coffee.
Byron applies simple, but reliable techniques – “campesino technology” as he calls it – to determine the mineral health of his soil; for the capture, reproduction and release of micro-organisms, as well as to improve the quality of his compost (including a balanced diet to his animals for optimum quality manure production, Bocashi compost and vermiculture). He also maintains an on-going process of evaluation, diagnostics and planning to keep his farm developing in the right direction.
Following his integrated, organic production systems, Byron can expect yields of 22 to 28 qq / ha. - which together with the additional 20 families of Cooperativa Agrícola De Crédito y Servicios SOLIDARIDAD, based in Aranjuez, Matagalpa – provides up to 5 containers of export quality coffee.
“It’s all about the interaction between the elements in and around my land: the water, the life in the soil, the moon and my animals...” he explains. “They all have an important role to play and they each feed into the production role of the other.”
In addition to the food and coffee production, Coop Solidaridad has also made a commitment to protect the environment. Collectively, they have reforested hundreds of hectares with local and exotic species. This, Byron says, is their insurance policy for future clean water supply and maintains a habitat for birds and local wildlife.
“I call this El Bosque de la Amistad [Forest of Friendship]” because the trees have been grown from seeds that I have brought back from many countries,” Byron says. “Wherever I travel, I try to bring back seeds; and whenever friends visit me I tell them to bring me seeds... whatever kind – I’ll experiment with them to see how they grow on our land.”
Results provide living proof that the economy and the environment can live in harmony.... following sustainable and integrated organic practices!
CLAC Coffee Network Regional Round Table Meeting
Following their 2008 regional gathering in Managua, the Coordinator of Small-Scale Producer from Latin America (CLAC) hosted a gathering of their Coffee Network to discuss some of the important issues facing Fair Trade. Cooperative Coffees was among the invited importers participating in this August 29 Round Table. Four international buyers and about 15 producer groups -- CC partners CECOSEMAC and CECOCAFEN among them -- were invited August’s Round Table meeting in Nicaragua. The meeting exemplifies CLAC's intention to increase communication between diverse participants all along the Fair Trade path. |  |
