CEPICAFE - Central Piurana de Cafetaleros

Central Piurana de Cafetaleros (CEPICAFE) is an association of 90 small-scale coffee cooperatives formed in 1995 in the Piura region of northwestern Peru. Before becoming Fair Trade Certified™ in 1996, the local farmers sold their coffee to local intermediaries at extremely low prices, causing many farm workers to leave the region in search of additional work. The cooperative aims to improve the quality of life of coffee-growing families and is an important contributor to the sustainable development of the region. It became Fair Trade Certified in order to access international markets on a level where farmers would be paid fairly for their product. CEPICAFE prides itself in the direct level of participation and autonomy that its members hold in decisions involving the cooperative.