Producer Profiles
APROCASSI - Asociación Provincial Cafetaleros Solidarios San Ignacio
APROCASSI continually seeks to produce high-quality coffee and improve its members’ standard of living through higher prices. They regularly invest in programs that teach members how to improve coffee quality and productivity. Most families work on approximately seven hectares of land and grow a variety of products, including coffee in the higher elevations. Collectively, the cooperative has an estimated 2,705 hectares of land producing organic coffee, which is roughly 93% organic.
Since becoming Fair Trade Certified ™ in 2001, the cooperative has financed several social and productivity programs using its Fair Trade premium. Portions of their premium are also used to pay producers immediately for their coffee sales.
APROCASSI was also awarded Fair Trade USA’s first ever Cooperative Small Grant to enact a rust mitigation program through environmental management in which they went through a rigorous grant selection process where they identified the challenges they were facing and proposed concrete solutions to overcome these challenges.
Quotable
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We try our best to produce high quality coffee in balance with nature, as well as give support to our producers. We distribute the income transparently back to the producers, directly benefiting not only our cooperative, but our community. ” Herbierto Narreatiga, Director of APROCASSI
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Fair Trade has been our savior for production and a refuge from the difficult times in the market. ” Herbierto Narreatiga, Director of APROCASSI
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Programs
Credit Loan Programs
Producer families often find themselves without the cash necessary to cover unforeseen events such as a health emergency or a death in the family. APROCASSI has a fund where producers can borrow money to pay for these situations.
In 2008, APROCREDI was formed as an organization that would support lines of credit for APROCASSI members. They provide loans for everything related to pre and post harvest needs, as well as the rebuilding of a producer’s farm.
Coffee Quality Improvements
The association bought four new coffee drying machines with their Fair Trade premium. These machines created consistency across communities and reduced the risk of fermentation damage that often occured on drying patios. The consistency of the coffee improved and thus a higher quality of coffee was produced.
Another example of how the cooperative supports its members through the use of the Fair Trade premium is by building storage centers for coffee in various regions where producers live. These centers greatly reduce the transportation time and cost for members.
Technical Assistance
APROCASSI supports its members throughout the growing and processing of their coffee. They provide assistance in the growing stages of seeding new plants, natural protection against pests, working with shade grown plants and keeping a healthy forest, and how to plant a diversified farm. They offer workshops, classes and hands-on trainings on a model farm. This investment is very important to APROCASSI because it maintains high quality coffee production.