Producer Profiles

COCLA - Central de Cooperativas Agrarias Cafetaleras

COCLA, or the Central de Cooperativas Agrarias Cafetaleras is a second-grade Peruvian coffee organization determined to contribute to the social and economic development of its member cooperatives –22 throughout the country representing an estimated 8,000 small coffee farmers. The beginnings of COCLA can be traced to 1964 when the results of cooperativism first became apparent in the region. Today, COCLA continues to work for the advancement of its members, producing about 600,000 quintals of coffee per year. According to cooperative management, about 50 percent of the region’s coffee is processed and exported through COCLA.
 

Quotable

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I want to thank the consumer for making the decision to buy products with the Fair Trade seal because this means they recognize the work of the small farmer. This decision as a consumer is changing the lives of many people. It gives producers hope to continue improving their lives and provide better options for themselves and their children, such as better houses, access to education and health care. These basic services are very difficult to get here in Peru. The producers work with great care to always try to produce a better product.  ”

Carmen León Mamnia, COCLA Manager
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Fair Trade is a more than an alternative, it gives us a new hope.  ”

Carmen Leon Mamnia, COCLA Manager
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Before we were Fair Trade certified, it was difficult to make direct contacts with clients and enter the market. Now, access is easier from the campaigns, initiatives and promotion Fair Trade USA has established.  ”

Carmen Leon Mamnia, COCLA Manager

Programs

Education and Training Programs

As a cooperative organization, COCLA is dedicated to providing education and training services to members, directors, staff and the community at large. The cooperative has implemented various education projects including the creation of technical schools which provide seminars, workshops and classes on standards, quality control and soil analysis. COCLA has also established a strategic partnership with Radio Quillabamba, which produces and broadcasts a daily radio show called “The Cooperative Voice” which keeps cooperative members and the greater community informed of pressing issues. This service is invaluable as communication can be difficult in such a remote area.

Environmental Programs and Training

COCLA uses Fair Trade funds to support several environmental programs including a reforestation project, organic agriculture training, best practices to preserve the environment and a crop diversification project, all of which significantly improve the nutrition of farming families and provides them with an additional source of income.

Reforestation, Nutrition and Organic Agriculture Funding

The cooperative has implemented various educational and environmental projects, including the creation of a technical school, which is open to all community members. The cooperative offers a variety of trainings, workshops, internships, courses to farmers to educate them in the latest agricultural techniques, organic farming practices and even family nutrition. Premium funds have specifically helped fund a reforestation project, training for members in organic agriculture, and a crop diversification project that significantly improves the nutrition of farming families and provides them with an additional source of income.