CAC Los Chankas - Coop. Agraria Los Chankas Selva Central

Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera Las Chankas Selva Central or “CAC Los Chankas” , founded in 2007, is a coffee cooperative located in the Apurimac region in southern Peru. The mountainous region has a rich history, with evidence of agricultural settlements dating back to more than four thousand years ago. The cooperative is named for the members’ ancestors, Los Chankas, the original settlers of the area. Previously, many of the members were part of a private business called “Negociaciones Flor De María Sociedad Anónima,” but were not seeing the results and benefits for the community they desired, so, after seven years, members left the business and formed a cooperative. The cooperative was a success and rapidly expanded from 23 producers to 126 producers. In 2010, Los Chankas took another step forward to benefit their producers and became Fair Trade Certified TM. Since the cooperative’s founding, they have focused on producing high quality coffee while also promoting development in their community. Los Chankas continues to be an innovator in the region and, most recently, has been working on producing and certifying organic coffee.